Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NORFOLK, Va. – Sophomore Haley Ward tied the NCAA record for consecutive hits and the Norfolk State softball team shut down Howard in a MEAC doubleheader sweep, 10-0, 14-0, Friday afternoon at the NSU Softball Field.

Ward went 2-for-2 in the first game and then tripled in her first at bat of the second game to tie the NCAA Division I record of 13 straight hits set by Boston University's April Setterland in 2010. Ward grounded out later in that first inning to fall short of owning the record all by herself.

NSU pounded out 22 hits on the day to improve to 5-0 in the MEAC and 12-15 overall. Howard dropped to 3-18 overall, 1-4 in the conference.

Ward belted a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth of the first game to help the Spartans win by the eight-run rule. She then went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI in the second game as NSU again won in five innings. Ward raised her average to .537 on the season.

Sophomore Liz Riley and junior Jamie Schulle each pitched five-inning shutouts for the Spartans. Riley (4-6) gave up just three hits and struck out four in the first game, and Schulle (8-8) struck out seven while allowing just two hits in Game 2.

The Spartans put their first runs on the board in the bottom of the second in Game 1. Senior Marjorie Pettitt and junior Kathy Cortez reached base to start the inning, and after moving into scoring position both players came home on a single by freshman Whitney Williams.

Three more then came home in the third. Sophomore Alina Moriarty and senior Gipsy Ramirez singled before a walk to sophomore Robyn Mitchell loaded the bases. One run came home on a wild pitch, and junior Melina Valles hit an RBI groundout to score the second run. After Ward reached on an infield single, Mitchell scored when the ball got away from the Bison on Ward's stolen base attempt.

The final five runs crossed the plate in the fourth. Freshman Heather Dunning and Ramirez singled around a walk to Moriarty to load the bases. After Howard pitcher Emily Krantz issued a bases-loaded walk to Valles, Ward followed with a deep shot over the right-center field wall to cap the game's scoring.

Ramirez went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs, while Valles and Williams each drove in two runs.

NSU chased Krantz in the first inning of the second game thanks to a six-spot. Boyd reached base to start the frame with a bunt single and Ward tripled to the right field wall to tie the NCAA record. Moriarty's sacrifice fly cleared the bases as Ward came home, but Krantz issued three straight walks to immediately load the bases.

The Bison reshuffled their entire infield to bring Ashley Turner into the circle, and Cortez followed with an RBI single to left for the third run of the inning. Valles came home on an infield error on Howard, and two batters later pinch hitter Nikki Jones poked one into left center to score Williams and Cortez.

Mitchell hit an RBI double in the second as NSU plated three more. Valles singled and moved to second on a groundout and both players touched home plate when Williams hit a screaming liner to the wall in right center.

Moriarty lined an RBI single in the third to score Ward, who had doubled with one out. Then in the fourth, the Spartans added the last four runs of the day thanks to their bench.

Pinch hitters Malinka Walters and Chelsea Davis singled to put a pair on base. Clara Quiñones singled home Walters and Davis also came home when the ball got away from Howard center fielder Briana Banks. Shekinah Stewart, NSU's fourth straight pinch hitter, plated Quiñones with another hit to center. Moriarty's RBI single to right brought home the last run.

Moriarty went 2-for-2 with three RBI, while Williams and Jones each drove in a pair. NSU had 14 hits in Game 2 with 12 different players each getting at least one.

NSU will look to finish out the series sweep Saturday at noon at the NSU Softball Field.