Box Score HAMPTON, Va. – Senior Alina Moriarty hit a go-ahead, sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh, and the Norfolk State softball team won the weekend series over Hampton thanks to a 2-1 win on Sunday afternoon at the Lady Pirates Softball Stadium.
 
Moriarty's sac fly to center broke a 1-1 tie, and Hampton stranded the leadoff batter on first in the bottom of the seventh. The two teams split Saturday's doubleheader, giving the Spartans the series win as well as the No. 2 seed from the North in this week's MEAC tournament.
 
As the second seed from the North, NSU will play the No. 3 seed from the South, Florida A&M, at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday in the opening round of the MEAC tournament at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex in Ormond Beach, Fla.
 
Sunday's rubber match between the local rivals saw freshman pitcher Megan Przeslawski shut down Hampton's offense a day after the Pirates scored eight runs in game 2's win on Saturday. Przeslawski (2-0) allowed just a third-inning home run and two hits altogether while striking out seven in her best pitching performance of the year.
 
NSU improved to 13-5 in the MEAC and 14-25 overall, while Hampton dropped to 19-24 overall and 11-6 in the conference. The Pirates will enter the tournament as the No. 3 seed from the North, with Delaware State at No. 1.
 
Jessica Reiman belted a solo homer in the bottom of the third to give Hampton an early 1-0 lead and HU's only hit through the first six innings. The Spartans then answered in the next half inning.
 
Junior third baseman Whitney Williams singled with one out and moved to second when sophomore first baseman Kayla McNair got plunked by the pitch. A fielder's choice and a walk loaded the bases, and senior catcher Sommer Di Fulgo delivered with a shot through the hole between short and third to tie it up at 1-1.
 
Then in the seventh, junior center fielder Heather Dunning reached on an error on Hampton left fielder Lorena Alvarez. After failing to get a bunt down and falling behind 1-2 in the count, sophomore left fielder Devon Bitler doubled over Alvarez' head to put runners on second and third.
 
Moriarty's sac fly to center brought home Dunning for the eventual winning run. Taylor McCoy singled to lead off the bottom of the seventh, but Przeslawski induced a pair of fly outs in between her seventh strikeout of the game to finish off the win.
 
Dunning and senior Robyn Mitchell each had two of NSU's eight hits on the day. Jailynn Jackson (5-11) suffered the loss after allowing all eight hits and two runs, one earned, while striking out four in seven innings of work.