Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State pounded out 18 hits and along the way gave head coach Heidi Cavallo her 100^th career victory as the Spartan softball team swept Howard, 9-1 and 7-2, on Saturday afternoon in a MEAC doubleheader at the NSU Softball Field.
 
Junior third baseman Whitney Williams drove in four runs over the course of the day, while senior outfielder Alina Moriarty and freshman second baseman Seana Moriarty each had four hits during the twinbill.
 
The Spartans also got strong pitching performances to improve their overall record to 3-14 and their MEAC mark to 2-0 to start conference play.
 
NSU's first victory of the afternoon also marked the 100^th win in Cavallo's four-plus years with the NSU program.
 
Senior Liz Riley picked up her first win of the year in game 1, striking out six in five innings of work while allowing five hits and one earned run.
 
NSU struck first with four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Alina Moriarty tripled to right center, and back-to-back walks loaded the bases. Williams followed with a two-run double over the head of Howard center fielder Al'Asia Davis. One out later, Howard third baseman Imani Ballard could not handle a shot off the bat of sophomore shortstop Mikki Haury, allowing two more runs to come across.
 
Seana Moriarty hit an RBI single in the third for a 5-0 NSU lead, and after Howard plated a run in the fourth, the Spartans scored four more times over the next two innings to end the game on the eight-run rule.
 
In the fourth, Alina Moriarty and senior first baseman Robyn Mitchell singled with one out. Moriarty scored on a wild pitch, and a fielder's choice off the bat of Williams plated Mitchell. Then in the fifth, senior catcher Sommer Di Fulgo and sophomore designated player Kayla McNair singled to start the inning, bringing up sophomore left fielder Devon Bitler. Relief pitcher Alexa Walker ran into Ballard as she tried to field the ball outside the pitcher's circle, allowing Bitler to reach first. The other two runners then scored, and the game ended, when Ballard's throw to first went down the right field line.
 
Williams hit 2-for-3 in the game with three RBI. Alina Moriarty also had a pair of hits for the Spartans.
 
Freshman Marissa Marrero pitched all seven innings in game 2 for NSU. She struck out four and allowed two earned runs while scattering six hits.
 
A big five-run fifth propelled the Spartans to the win. Howard had tied the game up at 2-2 before a wild inning put NSU up for good.
 
Bitler and Alina Moriarty singled to put two runners on in that fifth inning. Two straight errors on Howard shortstop Sade Estes scored Bitler and Moriarty. Williams hit a single into right field to bring home another run, and Di Fulgo's excuse-me single scored the fourth run of the frame.
 
Seana Moriarty belted a double to the right center field fence to score McNair and close out the game's scoring.
 
Seana Moriarty finished 3-for-3 in game two, while her sister Alina batted 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
 
Howard scored a run in the third and a run in the fifth. The Spartans scored two runs in the bottom of the third when Mitchell hit an RBI single to center and Briana Banks bobbled the ball, allowing a second run to cross the plate.
 
The two squads will finish out the series on Sunday at noon.