Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NORFOLK, Va. – Jamie Schulle allowed just two runs in 12 innings of work, and the Norfolk State softball team pounded Morgan State to the tune of a 7-0, 15-2 sweep Saturday afternoon in a MEAC doubleheader at the NSU Softball Field.

Schulle threw her fourth shutout of the season and struck out seven while allowing just four hits over all seven innings in the first game. She then gave up two earned runs on four hits with four more strikeouts in the five-inning victory in Game 2.

The Spartan offense, meanwhile, exploded for 25 hits on the afternoon, including a 5-for-7 day from sophomore outfielder Morgan Boyd. Senior outfielder Danielle Wright went 3-for-4 with three runs in the first game, while sophomore catcher Kathy Cortez went 2-for-4 with four RBI in the second game.

NSU ran its conference record to 6-2 on the season and its overall mark to 17-19. Morgan State fell to 7-18 overall, 1-7 in conference play.

An error on Morgan State second baseman Amber Frame with two outs in the bottom of the first scored Wright for the first run of the game. The Spartans had a great chance to add to their lead in the second, but Cortez' two-out, two-run double past the third base bag was overruled after the umpires convened to discuss the play.

Nevertheless, NSU added to its lead in the third. Freshman second baseman Alina Moriarty singled to lead off the inning, and came home from second after the Bears threw the ball away on a double-play attempt. The Spartans wasted a bases loaded opportunity later in the inning when freshman Whittni Gray flied out to left and senior third baseman Whitney Holland got thrown out at home trying to score on an overthrow.

The Spartans finally did break the game open with three runs in the fourth for a 5-0 lead. Boyd and Wright got things going with a pair of hits, and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Cortez to deep right-center plated Boyd. Freshman outfielder Haley Ward hit an opposite-field double to the left field fence to bring home Wright, and then Holland lined a full-count pitch through the dirt into center to score Cortez.

NSU added two more in the fifth, the first when Cortez hit a run-scoring double over the head of Sakina Smith in left field to score Wright, who had preceded Cortez with a one-out, infield single. Cortez then scored when Moriarty hit a shot to second that bounced off Frame's leg into left center for an error.

Cortez drove in a pair of runs, while sophomore first baseman Melina Valles, Gray and Boyd, the 7-8-9 hitters in the lineup, each went 2-for-4 in Game 1.

Jordan Eades (4-9) suffered the loss, giving up seven runs, five earned, on 12 hits with four walks in five innings of work.

Tiffany Rubin's solo shot over the left field fence in the second inning gave the Bears an early 1-0 lead in Game 2, but NSU quickly answered with five runs in the bottom half of the frame. Ward doubled to the left field wall to lead off the inning and advanced to third one out later on an infield hit by junior shortstop Gipsy Ramirez. Ward scored on a wild pitch, and then a walk to Valles and a single by Gray loaded the bases.

Boyd blooped a hit just out of reach of both the shortstop and left fielder to plate another run, and then after a fielder's choice got the lead runner out at home for the second out of the inning, Cortez lined one past the first base bag to clear the bases and give the Spartans a 5-1 advantage.

NSU then ended any chance of a Morgan State comeback by putting an eight-spot on the board in the third inning. Ward and Holland walked, and Ramirez singled into left field to quickly load the bases. Relief pitcher Amber Bachman issued a walk to Valles and then plunked Gray on the helmet to score a pair of runs. Boyd blooped another hit, this time over the third baseman's head, for another run, and then Gray scored from second after Frame threw the ball away on a potential double play at first.

Now holding a 9-1 lead, the Spartans continued to pour it on. Cortez got credit for a single to right after neither the first nor the second baseman went for the ball to score the fifth run of the inning. Moriarty launched a sacrifice fly to center, and then Ward cleared the bases with a two-run home run over the center field fence.

The Spartans added two more runs in the fourth when pinch hitter Chelsea Davis tripled to the right field wall with one out and fellow pinch hitter Nikki Jones launched her first home run of the year to center.

Ward went 2-for-2 with three runs and two RBI, while Boyd also scored three runs and tallied two RBI in the second game. Wright, Ramirez and Gray each scored a pair of runs as well.

Schulle earned both wins to run her overall record to 9-9 on the season. Lugo (0-3) gave up seven earned runs on five hits in two innings, while Bachman gave up eight earned runs on seven hits in the latter two innings. The Bears failed to record a strikeout in the game.

The two squads will finish up the three-game series Sunday at noon at the NSU Softball Field.