Box Score NORFOLK, Va. – Poor fielding on Norfolk State and solid hitting on the part of Maryland Eastern Shore gave the Hawks a 9-6 victory over the Spartan softball team on Sunday afternoon in the third game of the three-game series at the NSU Softball Field.

NSU committed five errors and also left 10 runners on base, including a combined five in the fourth and fifth innings when the Spartans could have cut into the UMES lead. As a result, NSU suffered its first loss in conference play this year. The Spartans now stand 15-18 overall, 8-1 in the MEAC.

Sophomore Haley Ward belted a pair of homers and went 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBI in the game. For the Hawks (11-21, 3-6), Trenece Nash drove in three runs on a pair of hits, while Vanessa Gomez hit 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI from the leadoff spot.

UMES plated a pair of runs in the first inning thanks to a pair of errors on the Spartans, but starter Jamie Schulle struck out the last two batters to end the threat. Ward responded with a two-run homer over the center field fence in the bottom of the first, and then again in the third the teams traded runs.

Nash hit one past a drawn-in infield to score two in the third, with two errors on NSU earlier in the inning again giving UMES an opportunity to put runs on the board. Later in the inning, a double steal scored the third run of the frame, but the Spartans came back with two in the bottom of the frame.

Ward hit a solo homer to right center field with one out, and a few batters later senior Chelsea Davis hit an RBI groundout to score the second run. But NSU left runners on the corners, and the Hawks added four more runs in the fourth for a 9-4 lead.

Gomez and Carmen Gurrola had RBI hits, and several batters later Nash hit an RBI single. The last of the four runs scored on a Spartan error.

Like the previous innings, NSU again responded in the bottom of the frame. Three straight singles loaded the bases, including a perfectly place bunt from sophomore Alina Moriarty, and senior Gipsy Ramirez got plunked by the pitch to score the first run.

Davis dropped one in between the first and second basemen and the pitcher to score another run, but the Spartans were unable to push another run across the plate with the score 9-6. NSU had runners on second and third with one out in the fifth but again could not push a run across in their last good scoring chance of the game.

Schulle (10-10) settled down in the latter innings but still suffered the loss after giving up six runs, two earned, on seven hits. Gurrola (9-12) earned the win despite giving up six runs, four earned, on 11 hits with six strikeouts.

NSU will hit the road next weekend to take on Morgan State. The two teams will play a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. with a single game Sunday at noon.