Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida A&M shut down the offense of the Norfolk State softball team in a pair of victories for the Rattlers, 3-1, 8-0, Saturday afternoon at the Lady Rattler Softball Complex.

NSU tallied a combined seven hits in the two games as the Spartans remained winless in conference play at 0-5 and fell to 7-18 overall. FAMU improved to 19-18 overall and 2-0 in the MEAC.

The Spartans scored their lone run of the day in the first inning of Game 1, but Jenn Lindsey (8-8) gave up just three hits in seven innings with six strikeouts for the win. Junior Casey Pomeroy (3-5) allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits in six innings for NSU.

In Game 2, Whitney Robinson (10-10) pitched five shutout innings with two strikeouts and no walks. Freshman Jamie Schulle (1-8) gave up five runs, three earned, on seven hits in 3+ innings.

Britany Doty and Erika Garcia each had four hits on the afternoon for FAMU. Garcia had two RBI and designated hitter Genesis Lopez scored a pair of runs in the second game. Freshman Morgan Boyd had two of NSU's seven hits on the day.

Junior Danielle Wright doubled to lead off the day's action and was brought home on a sacrifice fly by senior Jeanette Sauceda one out later as NSU took the early 1-0 lead. The Rattlers, however, struck back in the bottom of the second.

Robinson got hit by the pitch and advanced to third with one out when Doty singled into left field. Garcia singled into left field to score Robinson, and pinch runner Ashanti Shepherd also scored on the play on an error by left fielder Sauceda for a 2-1 FAMU lead.

The Spartans threatened in the fourth inning when junior Whitney Holland reached first after getting plunked by the pitch with one out. An infield single by freshman Melina Valles and a free pass to sophomore Gipsy Ramirez loaded the bases, but Holland got thrown out at home for the second out on a hit to the FAMU third baseman. Lindsey then struck out freshman Nikki Jones to end the threat.

Doty doubled in the sixth inning to plate Arianna Stewart for the final scoring margin.

NSU left a pair of runners on in both the first and second innings of Game 2, and FAMU took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second, all with two outs. Stewart doubled after NSU had sent the first two batters back to the dugout, and Doty brought her home with a single to right field. Lopez doubled to score Doty, and then Lopez came across the plate on a single by Garcia.

The Rattlers scored an unearned run in the third inning for a 4-0 lead, and then tallied two more runs in both the fourth and fifth innings for the eight-run rule. FAMU scored both of its runs in the fourth on back-to-back Spartan errors. Garcia then singled in another run in the fifth inning, and the Rattlers made it 8-0 on NSU's fifth error of the game.

The two teams will complete the three-game series Sunday at noon.