Norfolk State SoftballNORFOLK, Va. – The last home games of the regular season take place this weekend for the Norfolk State softball program, which will also honors its departing seniors on Saturday before the Spartans face Delaware State in a MEAC three-game series.
Saturday's doubleheader gets underway at 1 p.m. at the NSU Softball Field. Senior Day activities will begin at 12:40 p.m. as NSU honors the four members of its senior class. The two teams will also play a single game on Sunday at noon.
Live stats and a
live video feed for all three games will be available.
Along with the celebration of the seniors, the weekend will also be important for NSU as the Spartans look to maintain first place in the MEAC Northern Division against last year's division title champs. NSU currently sits 8-1 halfway through conference play, ahead of both Hampton (6-2) and Delaware State (5-4).
Both NSU and DSU have won five of their last six conference games coming into the weekend. Delaware State sits at 11-21 overall, compared to 9-19 for Norfolk State.
Senior SaluteNSU will honor the foursome of
Alina Moriarty,
Robyn Mitchell,
Sommer Di Fulgo and
Liz Riley before Saturday's doubleheader. Moriarty, Mitchell and Riley arrived at NSU before the 2012 season and have been part of a program that owns a 47-16 MEAC record during that time. Di Fulgo has been a mainstay with NSU since arriving as a junior last year from Louisburg College.
Moriarty currently ranks in the top 10 at NSU in doubles (1
st, 38), hits (2
nd, 194), total bases (2
nd, 295), home runs (3
rd, 19), at bats (3
rd, 563), sacrifice flies (4
th, 10) and RBI (7
th, 113). The two-time all-conference honoree surpassed Jeanette Sauceda's previous school record for doubles of 37 in game 2 against Longwood on Thursday. Moriarty needs four more home runs, 12 more hits, 22 more total bases and 33 more at bats to surpass each of those respective school records.
Mitchell earned second-team All-MEAC honors last year after hitting .342 and driving in 29 runs as the team's starting designated player. In 111 career games, she has batted .241 with 45 runs 62 hits, 18 doubles, six home runs and 59 RBI.
Riley finished with 11 wins and a 2.93 ERA in her freshman campaign and has appeared in 100 games with 55 starts over her four years. She owns a career 24-38 record with a 3.84 ERA in 373.2 innings. She ranks fourth in career appearances at NSU, seventh in innings pitched and strikeouts (217) and eighth in starts.
Di Fulgo has been the team's starting catcher each of the last two years after playing her first two years at Louisburg College. In 73 career games, she has tallied 24 runs with 38 hits, eight doubles, five home runs and 22 RBI. She has thrown out a league-leading 13 runners this year after ranking second in the MEAC last year with 16 while also picking off a league-best 11.
MEAC StandingsAlong with NSU, Hampton and Delaware State, the rest of the MEAC Northern Division standings include fourth-place Howard at 6-6, Coppin State at 3-6, Morgan State at 2-6 and Maryland Eastern Shore with a 2-7 record.
In the South, Bethune-Cookman stands 6-0, with Savannah State (8-1), Florida A&M (3-3) and North Carolina A&T (4-5) in the early lead for the top four positions. Only the top four teams from each division advance to the MEAC tournament in May.
League RankingsNSU ranks second in the conference in ERA at 4.56. Among individual players,
Sommer Di Fulgo sits fourth in walks with 16, while
Alina Moriarty stands ninth in slugging (.624).
Marissa Marrero is tied for fifth in wins with seven, while
Liz Riley is tied for sixth in strikeouts with 75.
About Delaware StateAfter a slow start to the season, DSU has won five of its past six games, all in conference after also winning five of six during a stretch in March. After a tough opening weekend against Hampton, though, to start MEAC play, the Hornets have come on as of late. They have averaged 16 runs per game over the last four contests, three against Coppin State and one game on Wednesday against Morgan State.
Four players hit at least .360 or better, including leading hitter Nicole Gazzola at .390. Vanessa Washington is hitting .375 with 22 runs, 11 doubles, six home runs and 27 RBI. Both Sandy Hawthorne (.365, 27 runs, seven doubles, 23 RBI) and Jordan Stamps (.363, six doubles, six homers, 27 RBI) have contributed on the offensive side as well. Pitching has been another issue, though, as Tara Tursellino (7-13, 5.11 ERA, 92 K's in 128.2 innings) and Jessica Shalongo (4-6, 9.50 ERA in 52.1 innings) have struggled on the season.
Series HistoryDelaware State took two of three from NSU last year after the Spartans had won seven of the previous eight meetings over the past several years. The Spartans hold a 22-19 edge in the all-time series.
Up NextThe Spartans will play a mid-week three-game series at Coppin State next Wednesday and Thursday in a matchup that was postponed from March.
