Spartan Softball
Thursday: NSU at Coppin State (DH), 2 p.m.
Friday: NSU at Coppin State, Noon

NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State softball team will take on Coppin State this Thursday and Friday on the road in a rare mid-week MEAC three-game series that has been postponed twice from its original scheduled date.
 
The two teams will play a doubleheader on Thursday at 2 p.m. and then a single game at noon on Friday. The series was pushed back a day this week due to weather after being postponed before from its original dates of March 21-22.
 
Following the three-game series with the Eagles, NSU will then have the weekend off for the first time since the start of the season while the six other teams in the Northern Division square off.
 
NSU is looking to bounce back after getting swept by Delaware State last weekend at home. That dropped the Spartans into a tie for first with the Hornets at 8-4, with Hampton a half game behind at 7-4. The Spartans also own a 9-22 overall record.
 
Coppin State has dropped its last 10 games after getting swept by Delaware on Tuesday. The Eagles stand 3-24 overall and 3-6 in conference play, with their only wins coming during a three-game sweep of UMES. CSU has given up six or more runs in eight of its nine MEAC games, including double digits in six.
 
Final Season Stretch
NSU will close out the regular season with eight games on the road. Following the contests against CSU, the Spartans will play a doubleheader next Wednesday at George Mason and a three-game series at Hampton on May 1-2. NSU, which is close to locking up its place in the MEAC tournament, is now less than two weeks away from the start of its trip down to Florida for the conference championship.
 
Counting Down
The magic number is nine now for senior Alina Moriarty. She needs that many more hits to surpass Morgan Boyd's career record of 205 set just last year. She also needs 23 more at bats and 19 more total bases to become the all-time leader in those categories as well.
 
MEAC Standings
At 8-7, Howard sits in fourth in the standings behind DSU, NSU and Hampton. UMES (4-8), Coppin State (3-7) and Morgan State (3-8) round out the North and are currently on the outside looking in when it comes to the four slots in the MEAC tournament. This weekend, Coppin State plays at Hampton, Howard travels to Delaware State and Morgan State will compete at UMES.
 
In the South, Savannah State and Bethune-Cookman (8-1 each), Florida A&M (4-4) and North Carolina A&T (5-7) have pulled ahead for those top four spots.
 
MEAC Rankings
Among hitters, Sommer Di Fulgo ranks fifth in the conference with 18 walks and has thrown out a league-leading 15 runners from behind the plate. Alina Moriarty stands ninth in slugging at .589. Liz Riley ranks seventh in strikeouts with 77, and Marissa Marrero is seventh in wins with seven.
 
Series History
The Spartans have a big edge in the all-time series with Coppin State, 41-10. NSU has won the last eight games against the Eagles, including regular season sweeps the last two years and in knockout games of the MEAC tournament in 2012 and '13.
 
About Coppin State
The Eagles have kept a consistent lineup, with nine players starting at least 20 of the 25 games. Candice Van Horn leads the way with a .397 average and 19 runs, seven doubles, two triples, three home runs and 16 RBI. Danielle Smith (.342, 23 runs, four doubles, four homers, 13 RBI) and Alanna Williams (.277, four doubles, 11 RBI) are the only other regular starters hitting above .240.
 
But on the flip side, CSU has the highest team ERA in the MEAC by far at 12.24. Van Horn has pitched 42.0 innings with a 7.50 ERA. Oashaja Dobie (13.94 ERA in 40.2 innings) and Samantha Denlinger (15.66 ERA in 39.1 innings) have split the starter's role with Van Horn this season.
 
Up Next
NSU will play a doubleheader at George Mason on Wednesday at 3 p.m. for the last non-conference games of the year for the Spartans.