Game 1

Game 2

MARIETTA, Ga. – The Norfolk State softball team lost its first two games of the inaugural HBCU Showdown tournament, falling 6-1 to Mississippi Valley State and 10-9 to Jackson State in eight innings on Saturday at the All-Tournament Players Park.

Against MVSU, NSU (0-2) got on the board first with a double to center field by Micki Rodriguez (Newport News, Va.) that scored Jewel White (Chesapeake, Va.) in the bottom of the first.

MVSU (1-1) answered with a run in the top of the second to tie the game and used a four-run seventh inning to put the game away.

Ky Brown (Woodsfield, Ohio) took the loss for NSU. She pitched four innings in relief and gave up five hits and five runs (one earned). Brittany Franklin earned the win after allowing five hits and one earned run.

In the Jackson State game, the Spartans scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 3-2 lead and put up three more runs in the seventh inning to go up 6-2, just to see Jackson State post four runs in the bottom of the seventh to send the game into extra innings.

NSU scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning, but Jackson State scored three runs with one out in the bottom of the frame right before Erica Stevenson singled to third base to drive in the game-winning run.

Brittanie Talley earned the win for Jackson State (1-1) after tossing an eight-hit, nine-run complete game and walking 12 Spartans. Sarah Wittwer (Grand Junction, Colo.) suffered the loss after pitching one-third of an inning. She gave up three hits, four runs (three earned), and walked one batter in relief.

The Spartans play their final two game of the tournament on Sunday against Southern (9 a.m.) and Grambling (11 a.m.).