Box Score NORFOLK, Va. – Senior Morgan Boyd hit an inside-the-park home run, and junior Robyn Mitchell hit a grand slam and drove in five runs to lead the Norfolk State softball team to a 11-2, five-inning win over Howard on Friday evening at the NSU Softball Field.

The Spartans improved their record to 14-16 overall and 8-1 in the MEAC, maintaining first place in the Northern Division in the process. NSU rallied and picked up the win over the Bison thanks to the top three hitters of Boyd, sophomore Heather Dunning and Mitchell. The trio combined to go 7-for-10 with six runs and all eight of the team's RBI.

After the Bison had taken an early 2-0 lead in the game, Boyd hit an inside-the-park homer in the third frame to spark a five-run inning. Her shot to left field sailed over the head of Al'Asia Davis as she ran in to make the catch, and Boyd raced all the way home as Davis ran to the wall to track the ball down.

Boyd just beat the throw home as the ball bounced off her leg less than two steps from the plate.

Dunning singled and scored on Mitchell's RBI double to the gap in left center, and an error on Howard third baseman Breon Wise with the bases loaded scored two more runs to make it 5-2 heading into the bottom of the third.

The Bison (1-26, 0-9) had scored two in the bottom of the second on an error on the Spartans for the early lead. NSU was the visiting team for the game because it was originally scheduled to be played at Howard. Friday's game completed a three-game series in which the first two games were played on March 31 at NSU.

Mitchell then hit a grand slam, her team-leading sixth homer of the year, in a four-run fourth inning for a 9-2 lead. The Spartans tacked on two more runs in the fifth to end the game due to the eight-run rule.

Senior Kathy Cortez reached on an error, and Boyd and Dunning singled before Mitchell launched a 1-0 pitch over the left field fence.

Then in the fifth, Cortez reached on another error after juniors Alina Moriarty and Sommer Di Fulgo had singled, loading the bases. Boyd hit a sac fly to center for the first run, and Dunning followed with a single into center. Di Fulgo scored when the catcher threw wide of third base trying to catch her too far off the bag.

Junior Liz Riley (1-5) picked up the win for the Spartans, giving up two hits and two unearned runs in five innings of work.

Boyd hit 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBI, while Mitchell batted 2-for-4 with two runs and five RBI. Dunning, meanwhile, was a perfect 3-for-3 with a pair of runs scored.

NSU will take on Morgan State Saturday at 1 p.m. for a conference doubleheader at the NSU Softball Field.