Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – Rebecca Barnes (Hampton, Va.) went a combined 6-for-6 with five RBI, two doubles, a home run and scored a team-high five runs as the Norfolk State softball team beat Maryland Eastern Shore 9-1 in six innings and 15-2 in five in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday at Lady Hawks Field.

In the first game, NSU (16-22) took a 6-0 lead after the first five innings, holding UMES (7-25) scoreless along the way. But the Lady Hawks got on the board in the bottom of the frame to cut the Spartans' lead to five, 6-1.

NSU scored three runs in the top of the sixth and used solid defense in the bottom of the inning, turning the fifth double play of the season along the way, to win the game.

Ky Brown (Woodsfield, Ohio) pitched four shutout innings and only allowed one hit to improve to 5-3 on the year. Bonnie Heineken tossed four and two-third innings in the losing effort and gave up nine hits, six earned runs, and walked four.

Game 2 got ugly quickly as the Spartans scored nine runs on 10 hits in the second inning to put the game out of reach. Meghan Ramsey (Virginia Beach, Va.) led off the inning with a homer to left field and a few batters later, Ashley Archer (Amelia, Va.) went yard with the bases loaded for her first home run of the season. Heading into the bottom of the second, NSU had a 12-0 lead.

UMES scored twice in the second, but could not undo the damage done earlier.

Micki Rodriguez (Newport News, Va.) got the win after she threw three shutout innings in relief. She gave up one hit and struck out six. Marielle Garcia fell to 2-6 on the season for UMES. She allowed 11 hits, 11 runs (10 earned) and walked one in one and one-third innings.

Overall, Ramsey had a good day at the plate, going 5-for-7 with four RBI and two runs. Gladys Cabeza (Corning, N.Y.) went a combined 5-for-6, hit one triple, and scored three times.

The Spartans travel to Farmville, Va. on Saturday to play a doubleheader against Longwood at 1 p.m.