Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 LYNCHBURG, Va. – Norfolk State rallied with four runs in the seventh inning and then won in eight to top Sacred Heart on Saturday, 7-6. The Spartan softball team later used eight walks to win in five innings over Rhode Island, 8-0, during the third day of the Liberty Softball Classic.
 
The Spartans improved their record to 5-8, going 3-2 at the tournament held at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium. They first rallied from a four-run deficit against the Pioneers to eventually take the extra-inning win. NSU only needed four hits to top the Rams in its second game of the day while limiting Rhode Island to just two hits.
 
The top three hitters for Sacred Heart combined to go 8-for-12 in the morning matchup. The Pioneers (4-11) were certainly on their way to a win after scoring three runs in the second inning and one more in the fifth for a 4-0 lead.
 
But in the sixth, NSU got two of those runs back. With two outs and a runner on second, freshman Stephanie Davenport delivered an RBI single and went to second on the throw. That proved to be important, as senior Heather Dunning followed with a single into center field that scored Davenport.
 
The Spartans jumped ahead with four runs in the seventh. Freshman Kylee Lopez struck out but reached first on a wild pitch before stealing second. After a single by senior Whitney Williams, junior Kayla McNair tripled down the right field line to tie the score at 4-4. Davenport hit another RBI single, and junior Devon Bitler singled with the bases loaded for a two-run cushion.
 
After the Pioneers used a double-play lineout to avoid any more damage, they got a single and double to put runners in scoring position with no outs in the bottom half of the seventh. A sacrifice fly with one out and another RBI single sent the game to extra innings.
 
After placing a runner on second to start the eighth, the Spartans used a sac bunt and an RBI single by Williams to go ahead by one.
 
Sacred Heart also had a runner on third with one out in the bottom of the eighth but was unable to push the run across.
 
Sophomore Marissa Marrero pitched six innings in relief to earn the win, allowing eight hits and three runs, two earned, with three strikeouts. She also won the matchup with Rhode Island to improve her record to 3-4 on the year.
 
Marrero scattered two hits in five innings with one walk and two K's. Her Ram counterparts struggled in the circle, allowing eight walks, including seven by starter Julia Waraksy in the first 1.2 innings of play.
 
The game started with three straight walks issued to NSU, and McNair followed with a sac fly to left. Rhode Island (7-10) got the second out at home and the third out on a grounder to short to keep it at 1-0.
 
It did not matter, though, as NSU plated four more in the second, all with two outs. A hit-by-pitch and a single by Dunning put two runners on. Bitler, sophomore Seana Moriarty, McNair and junior Mikki Haury drew four straight walks to score three runs. A fourth came home on a wild pitch.
 
NSU then made it 8-0 with three more runs in the third, again all with two outs. Senior Megan Dunning hit a solo home run, and Heather Dunning and Bitler singled and walked, respectively, to put two runners on base. An error loaded the bases, and McNair delivered with a two-run double to left center.
 
Rhode Island managed just one base runner in the last three innings.
 
McNair had four RBI while Heather Dunning went 2-for-3 with three runs scored in the afternoon contest against Rhode Island. McNair also went 1-for-2 with two RBI in the first game of the day. Williams and Bitler each had two hits against Sacred Heart, and Davenport drove in two runs as well.
 
NSU also drew nine walks against the Pioneers along with eight against Rhode Island. McNair and Bitler each had four of those totals free passes on the day.
 
NSU will host UMBC on Tuesday at 1 p.m. for a doubleheader at the NSU Softball Field.