Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NORFOLK, Va. – Liz Riley hit a two-run home run, and Alina Moriarty drove in the winning run as Norfolk State downed UMBC on Saturday afternoon, helping the Spartan softball team to an eventual split of its two games on day 1 of the Spartan Classic.

NSU held on to defeat the Retrievers, 3-2, as the Spartans thwarted a late comeback by UMBC. Monmouth, though, pounded out 12 hits in taking down NSU 8-6 in the final game of the day at the NSU Softball Field.

On a day when each of the four teams in the tournament won a game and lost one, the Spartans saw their record move to 2-7 on the year. Sophomore Heather Dunning had a big day at the plate, finishing 7-for-9 over the two games.

Riley blasted a two-run homer to center field in the top of the second against UMBC (7-3), and three innings later Moriarty doubled to the wall in right field to score freshman Devon Bitler.

Senior Jamie Schulle (2-3) gave up 10 hits in seven innings but just one earned run. She worked out of a couple jams late in the game when the Retrievers threatened to tie it up.

Caitlin Chance hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth, but with runners on first and second a little later, Schulle induced a groundout back to the circle to end that threat.

Then in the seventh, UMBC put runners on the corners with one out. Bridget O'Malley singled into right to make it 3-2 in favor of NSU, but Taylor Hall lined into a double play to give NSU the win.

Kelly Lane (1-2) struck out seven but gave up five hits and two earned runs in seven innings for the Retrievers.

A four-run third inning for Monmouth (1-1) was the big difference in NSU's second game of the day. That came after the Spartans had tied things up at 3-3 in the top of the second.

The first run came across the plate when sophomore Whitney Williams and junior Sommer Di Fulgo doubled to lead off the inning, and Riley doubled home both runners one out later with a shot to the right-center field gap.

After the Spartans loaded the bases, senior Morgan Boyd hit one to Monmouth's Vanessa Cardoza at third. Cardoza bobbled the ball at first, allowing Riley to score, but Cardoza recovered to get the out at third, and Moriarty flied out to the right fielder to end the inning.

Kayleena Flores drove home two for Monmouth with an infield single in the first, and a sac fly in the second plated another for the Hawks. Then in the third, Monmouth did all its damage after the first two batters struck out.

The first run scored on a wild pitch, and an error on NSU brought home the second run. A second error and another wild pitch plated the next two runs for Monmouth.

The Spartans got two runs back in the top of the fourth when Moriarty launched one over the left field fence. Moriarty's infield single in the sixth scored another one, but NSU never two runners on in each of the last two innings to fall short.

Moriarty drove in three runs for NSU while hitting 2-for-4, while Cardoza and Alicia DeSanto each had three hits for the Hawks. Dunning had a career-high four hits against Monmouth.

Senior Stephanie Wheatley allowed just one run on five hits in 3.1 innings of relief.

NSU will face both Delaware and UMBC on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. The day's action will get started at 9 a.m. with a game between Monmouth and Delaware.