Box Score ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – The Norfolk State softball team rallied to tie it up in the bottom of the seventh, but Florida A&M came away with the victory, 7-4 in 10 innings, to eliminate the Spartans from the 2012 MEAC Championship Friday morning at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex.

FAMU advanced to play Savannah State later in the day in the next round of the loser's side of the bracket, while NSU saw its season come to a close with the loss. The Spartans finished out the 2012 campaign 24-25 overall, while FAMU improved to 26-28.

The Spartans secured their second-most wins in a season in the Division I era with their victory Thursday against Coppin State. NSU had 26 wins in 2007 and 24 wins in 1998, the first year in D-I.

Florida A&M took a 4-0 lead after four innings, but NSU rallied with a pair of runs in the sixth and then two more in the seventh on an RBI single by senior third baseman Whitney Holland. After stranding the bases loaded in the eighth, though, the Rattlers broke through with three runs in the 10th for the win.

Holland was one of three Spartans to finish their careers on Friday. Outfielder Danielle Wright and infielder Candice Vasquez each wrapped up their senior campaigns on Friday.

A four-year starter, Wright finished second in NSU history in at bats (554), hits (175) and doubles (31), third in total bases (274), fourth in games started (174) and home runs (16), fifth in hit-by-pitches (10) and sixth in games played (175). She also ranked 10th in stolen bases (72), 11th in RBI (107), 12th in triples (10), 13th in runs (128) and ended her career with a .316 batting average.

Holland played two seasons for NSU after arriving from St. Johns River College. She wrapped up her NSU career with a .298 batting average in 83 games, including 82 starts, with 30 runs, 75 hits, 10 doubles, seven home runs, 57 RBI, 28 walks and a .935 fielding percentage.

Vasquez finished sixth in NSU annals in sacrifice hits (19), 12th in games started (135) and 15th in games played (142). She tallied 24 runs, 58 hits, five doubles, one home run, 33 RBI and 28 walks during her time with the Spartans.

Wright owns the NSU D-I records for hits (59) and stolen bases (28) in a season.

On Friday, in a game that lasted nearly three hours, a sacrifice fly in the third inning got FAMU on the board against sophomore starter Jamie Schulle. The Rattlers chased Schulle in the fourth, thanks to an RBI single off the bat of Tera Gainer and then a two-run single into left field a short time later in the inning from Addie Dozier.

Down by a 4-0 margin, NSU finally broke through in the sixth. Freshman Haley Ward and junior Gipsy Ramirez opened the frame with a pair of singles, and then two outs later sophomore Melina Valles lofted a pitch into shallow center to plate both runners.

The Spartans then added two more in the seventh thanks to an untimely error on FAMU left fielder Christina Robbs. Sophomore catcher Kathy Cortez singled back up the middle to get the first runner on base. One out later, Robbs went back toward the fence on a hit by Ward and then took a step in at the last second. She attempted a basket catch on that step in but dropped the ball to put runners on first and second.

A wild pitch moved the runners into scoring position, and then with two outs, Holland lined one past the shortstop into center field to tie it up at 4-4. Both runs in the frame against FAMU starter Jenn Lindsey were unearned thanks to that error.

FAMU nearly took the lead back in the top of the eighth, loading the bases with one out. Jasmin Donaldson lined out to Holland at third for the second out, and then relief pitcher Liz Riley got Alyssa Weaver to ground out to end the frame.

After NSU went 1-2-3 in the eighth and ninth innings, FAMU tallied three runs in the 10th for the winning margin. Tenisha Dixon singled to open things up, and a hit by pitch and walk loaded the bases. Riley issued another walk to Venica Brown to score the first run, and one out later Genesis Lopez singled over the first baseman's head to plate the final two runs of the game.

Dixon went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while Dozier and Lopez each added a pair of RBI. Holland and Valles each had two RBI for NSU, while Cortez and Ramirez added a pair of hits each on the day.

Riley (11-15) suffered the loss in relief, giving up three earned runs with four walks and seven hits in six total innings of work. Schulle allowed four earned runs on three hits in four innings.

Lindsey (14-8) struck out 10 and allowed seven hits and four runs, two earned, in all 10 innings.

The contest finished one inning short of the all-time record for an extra-inning game for NSU. The Spartans beat Winston-Salem State, 8-7, on May 8, 2010 in 11 innings.