Spartan Softball
Saturday: NSU at UMES (DH), 1 p.m., Hawks Field
Sunday: NSU at UMES, Noon, Hawks Field

NORFOLK, Va. – A week after competing at Delaware State, the Norfolk State softball team will travel back up Route 13 on the Eastern Shore to face UMES this weekend for a three-game MEAC series at Hawks Field.
 
The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. and a single game at noon on Sunday. 
 
NSU is coming off a weekend series at Delaware State that saw the Hornets win two of three to force an early three-way tie for first place at 4-2. The Hawks, meanwhile, dropped two of three at Coppin State, a team NSU swept in the first conference series of the year.
 
UMES dropped to 7-17 overall on the year and 2-4 in conference play following last weekend. The Hawks have gone 5-15 against teams from the MEAC (including non-conference contests) and also own wins over Lafayette and UMBC.
 
The Spartans salvaged the third game of the series at Delaware State, 7-5, to run their record to 9-14 overall and 4-2 in conference play. NSU and DSU are currently tied with Hampton for the top record in the league after two weeks of play.
 
NSU saw its season batting average drop to .252 after the weekend at DSU, with junior Hannah Haustein now leading the way with a .313 average. Megan Przeslawski is hitting an even .300, while Kayla McNair (.298, 14 RBI), Stephanie Davenport (.291, 13 runs, 15 RBI) and Whitney Williams (.288, 15 runs, 16 RBI) have formed the heart of the order this season for NSU.
 
Rest of the MEAC
The other games in the Northern Division this weekend including Coppin State (2-4) playing a three-game series at Delaware State and Morgan State (1-2) traveling to Howard (1-2) for three games. Hampton will have the weekend off from conference play.
 
Savannah State swept Bethune-Cookman last weekend and Florida A&M won all three games over North Carolina Central to give SSU and FAMU the early lead in the Southern Division.
 
MEAC and National Rankings
Przeslawski now stands fourth in the league in ERA at 4.05 as the Spartans as a team sit second at 4.42. Williams ranks fourth in home runs with four, while Seana Moriarty is third in the MEAC in walks with 13.
 
McNair has been hit by a pitch nine times this year, and she ranks 13^th in the nation at 0.39 per game.
 
As a team, NSU ranks 90^th in doubles per game at 1.35 and 91^st in scoring at 5.00.
 
One More to the Total
With her fourth home run of the season at Delaware State, Williams now has 19 round-trippers for her career. That moved her to within three of the all-time NSU record of 22 shared by Ursel Bruton and Lekita Wilson.
 
About UMES
The Hawks are hitting .279 as a team, led by Kaitlyn Hitch (.394) and Vanessa Gomez (.382, 21 runs, eight doubles, five triples, 13 RBI). Unfortunately, opponents are hitting .351 and averaging just about a run scored per inning.
 
Three other players are also at .300 or better for UMES, including Trenece Nash (.348), Emily Diseroad (.302) and Samantha Casarez (.300, 13 runs). Allison Anderson ranks second on the team with 12 RBI, while Adrienne Guerra has made 14 starts in the circle for the Hawks. She has compiled a 5-10 record with a 4.26 ERA in 93.2 innings. UMES' other two pitchers, though, have combined for a 9.29 ERA in 52 innings of work.
 
Series History
NSU has a huge 63-8 edge all-time against UMES, although in each of the last three years the Hawks have taken a game from the Spartans in the three-game regular season series.
 
Up Next
NSU will travel to Towson next Tuesday for a non-conference doubleheader and a recent addition to the schedule before hosting Morgan State next weekend.