Box Score PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – Sophomore catcher Kathy Cortez went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs to lead the Norfolk State softball team to a 4-2 win and a series sweep of UMES Saturday afternoon at Hawks Field.

The Spartans moved to 15-17 overall and 4-2 in MEAC play following a pair of shutout victories Friday over the Hawks. NSU pounded out 11 hits on Saturday and used a three-run third inning to take the lead for good. UMES remained winless on the season at 0-26 overall, 0-9 in conference play.

Cortez lined a run-scoring double in that third inning and then drove in an insurance run in the sixth for a 4-1 lead. Sophomore starter Jamie Schulle pitched three flawless innings to start the game before giving way to freshman Liz Riley before the start of the fourth.

Schulle re-entered the game in the bottom of the seventh with NSU up 4-2 and the tying run on base for the Hawks. The left-hander retired the only two batters she faced in that last frame to hold on for the win.

Cortez got the scoring going for the Spartans in the third when her one-out double brought home sophomore right fielder Morgan Boyd from third. Freshman Alina Moriarty followed with a double of her own for a 2-0 lead, and then two batters later junior shortstop Gipsy Ramirez singled in the third run of the inning.

Morgan King hit an RBI single in the fifth for UMES' first run of the series, and after Cortez singled in senior center fielder Danielle Wright in the sixth, the Hawks threatened again in the seventh.

Kristen Lee tripled and scored on an RBI groundout to start the inning, and then a single and a walk put the next two batters on base. Schulle, though, came in to relieve Riley and retired the next two batters on groundouts to end the rally.

After tying the school record with 12 strikeouts in the first game on Friday, Schulle added five more K's on Saturday while allowing just three hits over 3.2 innings. Riley walked four and gave up two earned runs on six hits in 3.1 innings of relief.

Gurrola (0-26) pitched all seven innings for the Hawks, allowing 11 hits and four earned runs with no walks and three strikeouts. The teams combined to leave 20 runners on base, including two runners in each of the second, third, fourth and seventh innings for the Hawks.

NSU will play a non-conference doubleheader Thursday at Longwood before returning to the NSU Softball Field Saturday for a three-game series with Morgan State.