Box Score

NORFOLK, Va. – An absolute wild finish to the game ended with South Carolina State on top, 11-10 in eight innings, over the Norfolk State softball team Sunday afternoon in the series finale at the NSU Softball Field.

Up 4-3 heading into the seventh inning, Denitia Carter hit a 3-run home run for S.C. State for a 7-3 lead. The Spartans, though, tied it up in the bottom half of the inning thanks to a 3-run bomb from senior Jeanette Sauceda with one out in the inning.

S.C. State tallied four more runs in the top of the eighth inning for an 11-7 lead, but NSU again battled back. The Spartans had the winning run on third in the bottom half of the frame, but the Bulldogs turned a 5-4-3 double play to end the game.

The loss dropped NSU to 10-21 overall and 3-6 in the MEAC Southern Division standings. S.C. State improved to 8-36, 3-6, while the Spartans maintained third place in the division ahead of S.C. State and North Carolina A&T.

NSU tallied 15 hits in the game, including three each by junior Danielle Wright and freshman Morgan Boyd at the top of the lineup. Boyd added two RBI and three stolen bases as she extended her hitting streak to 10 games, while Wright scored a pair of runs. Sauceda went 2-of-4 with two runs and three RBI, while sophomore Gipsy Ramirez and catcher Kathy Cortez each added a pair of hits.

Raven Johnson (4-18) earned the win for the Bulldogs, pitching all eight inning and giving up 10 runs, six earned, on 15 hits with six strikeouts. Junior Casey Pomoeroy (5-7) suffered the loss for NSU, allowing seven runs, three earned, on five hits with eight strikeouts in 5.2 innings of relief.

Carter had a 2-for-3 day with four RBI for the Bulldogs, while Sonya Giles scored a pair of runs and knocked in a pair of as well. Tonya Giles and Shayla Stevenson also scored a pair of runs.

Boyd singled with the infield in to score Wright in the bottom of the first and give NSU an early 1-0 lead. The Bulldogs, though, put a four spot on the board in the top of the third to take the lead. Two straight fielder's choices brought home a pair of runs before Sonya Giles homered launched a two-run home run to center field for the 4-1 lead.

The Spartans cut the deficit to one with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth, as freshman Nikki Jones doubled to the right center field wall to plate Sauceda with no outs. Jones scored two outs later when Bulldog second baseman Kaela-Marie Paulo could not handle the hit off the bat of Cortez.

The Bulldogs took control in the top of the seventh with two outs, as Stevenson was hit by the pitch and Tonya Giles singled before Carter parked one over the center field fence for the 7-3 lead. NSU, though, fought back in the bottom half of the frame. Boyd hit a bunt single with one out, and freshman Melina Valles singled to center field to put runners on the corners.

Junior Whitney Holland singled to center to bring home Boyd, and Sauceda lined the first pitch she saw to left field to tied the score at 7-7. Johnson forced the last two batters to pop up to end the threat, but the damage was done for the Spartans.

A throwing error on NSU allowed the first run to come home for S.C. State in the top of the eighth. A pinch-hit single by Arzine Lee scored the second run of the frame. Another throwing error on the Spartans and a single by Stevenson made it 11-7 S.C. State. With one out and Stevenson and Vianney Gomez on second and third, respectively, Tonya Giles grounded one to Ramirez at short. Ramirez threw out Gomez at home and when Cortez attempted to nail Giles going to second, NSU second baseman Candice Vasquez threw out Stevenson at home for the 6-2-4-2 double play.

Stevenson was tossed from the game after attempting to run Cortez over a few feet up the third base line.

Cortez got a measure of revenge in the bottom of the eighth, singling up the middle to score Pomeroy with one out. Wright singled to left center, and then Cortez and Wright moved into scoring position on a passed ball. Boyd dove into first base and beat out an infield single to the second baseman to score Wright, and then Cortez scored when a hit off the bat of Valles went under the glove of third baseman Shannon Baity.

With Boyd at third, though, the Bulldogs turned a 5-4-3 double play to end the game.

The Spartans will head to Liberty for a doubleheader Wednesday at 2 p.m. before hosting UMES Thursday at 2 p.m. for a twinbill at the NSU Softball Field.