Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 RALEIGH, N.C. – Jamie Schulle and Liz Riley combined to allow just one earned run, and Haley Ward's 5-for-5 effort in Game 2 propelled the Norfolk State softball team to a 6-3, 7-1 doubleheader sweep of North Carolina Central Wednesday afternoon at the Walnut Creek Complex.

Schulle gave up just one earned run and struck out eight in all seven innings in the first game of the day, while Riley's solo home run kick started a three-run third inning. Riley then allowed just three hits and one unearned run in a complete game in Game 2.

Ward became the fifth player ever in NSU history to hit three doubles in a game as part of her five-hit performance in the nightcap. Fellow freshman Alina Moriarty added a pair of hits in each game to help NSU improve to 12-15 overall on the season. The Eagles fell to 3-28 overall this year and dropped their ninth straight game to the Spartans.

In Game 1, Riley's solo home run, the first of her collegiate career, got things going for the Spartans in the top of the third. After sophomore Melina Valles got plunked by the pitch, freshman Whittni Gray singled to center field, and an error on Martha Batie allowed Valles to score. Another error on a hit by Moriarty plated Gray for a 3-0 lead.

Thanks to a pair of walks and another error on the Eagles, NSU loaded the bases in the sixth inning with one out. Gray hit a sacrifice fly to bring home sophomore Kathy Cortez for the first run of the inning. Ward and Moriarty then hit back-to-back singles to give the Spartans a 6-0 lead.

Andrea Searls hit an RBI single in the sixth to put NC Central on the board, and a pair of runs later came home in the same inning on a one-out error on the Spartans.

Bianka Molina (2-14) gave up six runs, one earned, on seven hits with three strikeouts in all seven innings for the Eagles. Schulle (6-7) allowed six hits – three by left fielder Cember Carmichael – to go along with her eight-strikeout performance.

Riley and Valles each scored a pair of runs in Game 1.

After the Spartans scored an unearned run in the top of the first in the second game for the early lead, the Eagles scored their only run on one of two Spartan errors in the game. NSU then broke the contest open with three runs in the fifth and another three runs in the seventh.

Ward doubled and Moriarty singled to lead off the fifth, and after a walk loaded the bases, sophomore Nikki Jones lofted a sac fly to left. Senior Danielle Wright returned to the lineup after missing nearly two weeks and hit RBI double for a 3-0 lead. An error on Batie in center field later in the frame scored the fourth run of the game.

Riley continued to shut down the Eagles, and the Spartans added three more runs in the seventh. Wright hit her second double of the game to lead off the inning and two more doubles from freshman Robyn Mitchell and Ward in between another error on NC Central padded NSU's lead.

Riley (6-8) struck out five and allowed three hits in all seven innings. Aurora Baker (1-11) suffered the loss, giving up all 13 hits and seven runs, three earned, in seven innings of work.

Along with Ward's five-hit effort, the most in a game by an NSU player in since at least 2002, Moriarty, Wright and junior Gipsy Ramirez each added two hits in the second contest of the day.

NSU will play it second conference weekend of the season on Saturday and Sunday at Howard.