Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NORFOLK, Va. – Rhode Island hit a game-tying home run in the top of the seventh and then scored three runs in the ninth to win game 2 by a 9-6 margin and sweep the Norfolk State softball team on Sunday afternoon at the NSU Softball Field.
 
The Rams held off NSU in the first game, scoring twice in the fifth and then making several solid defensive plays to win 3-2. The teams split their four-game series this weekend after NSU won both contests on Saturday.
 
Junior Mikki Haury had a big day for the Spartans, going a combined 6-for-7 with three runs and two RBI during the two games.
 
Rhode Island (5-7), on the other hand, made the right plays at the right time, including late in game 2.
 
The Spartans (2-4) scored three runs in the fifth to take a 6-4 lead. The Rams left two runners on in the sixth but capitalized in the seventh. Ali Summers singled to open the frame, but after NSU reliever Marissa Marrero got the next two outs, Kylie Shivery belted the first pitch of the at bat over the left center field fence to tie the score at 6-6.
 
The Spartans stranded the winning run on third base in the eighth before Rhode Island put the game away in the ninth.
 
A hit-by-pitch and two walks loaded the bases. Shivery's sacrifice fly to right scored one run, and Taylor Archer hit one past Haury at short to bring home another run. Another walk later loaded the bases again, and Marylynn Muldowney smacked one off the glove of Marrero for the final 9-6 margin.
 
Two singles by NSU in the ninth and a wild pitch put runners on second and third for the Spartans before relief pitcher Julia Waraksy induced a foul out to left to end the game.
 
The Spartans had a great opportunity to score early in game 2 after loading the bases with three straight hits with one out in the second. The Rams, though, turned a double play, getting the lead out at home before throwing to first to end the Spartan rally.
 
In the third, NSU did pull ahead, as a walk and then a single off the bat of sophomore Megan Przeslawski put runners on first and second with two outs. Senior Whitney Williams followed with a shot into right field, scoring freshman Shelby DesChamps.
 
Rhode Island pulled ahead with four runs in the fourth. Jenna Cubello and Shivery hit back-to-back home runs to open the inning, after both at bats were extended due to dropped foul balls on NSU. A single and double put two more runners on base, and Danielle Gariglio singled for the third run of the inning. Muldowney just beat the tag of freshman Stephanie Davenport on a passed ball for a 4-1 edge.
 
The Spartans did get two of those runs back in the bottom of the frame. Haury led off with a double, and Davenport blasted a 0-1 pitch over the left field fence.
 
Down 4-3, the Spartans took the lead with three more runs in the fifth. Junior Kayla McNair and Haury singled, and Davenport drew a walk to put three runners on with one out. Rhode Island had a chance to turn a double play, but second baseman Summers could not get the ball cleanly out of her glove after getting one out at second.
 
That play scored one run, and then Bitler delivered, hitting a line drive to the wall in center for a two-run double and a 6-4 lead.
 
Waraksy (1-2) earned the win for URI after the Rams rallied in the seventh and won it in the ninth, giving up just two hits and striking out three in 4.1 innings of relief.
 
Rhode Island struck first in the top of the fourth in game 1, using a pair of singles through the left side of the infield and a walk to load the bases with no outs. Cubello scored when the throw to home on an infield hit went wide of the plate.
 
Marrero, though, induced a fly out to shallow right field, a fielder's choice with the out at home, and then a weak groundout to first base to leave the bases loaded and prevent any more runs from scoring.
 
NSU answered in the bottom of the frame. McNair hit a bunt single to third base and went to second when Rhode Island got the lead runner out at third. Two batters later, Haury put the bat on the ball and sent it over the fence in right center field for a 2-1 lead.
 
Rhode Island had an immediate response in the top of the fifth. A walk and a single put runners on first and second with one out, and Shivery doubled to right center to score both runners and make it 3-2 in favor of the Rams.
 
The Rams nearly added to their lead in the sixth, putting runners on the corners with no outs on a double and single to start the frame. Bitler then made a great running catch in left center, avoiding a collision with senior center fielder Heather Dunning. A run initially scored on the play but was called out on appeal at third for leaving the base early.
 
Haury nearly tied the game up in the seventh, hitting a double off the top of the fence in right center. NSU, though, could not move her to third. The Rams closed the game with several strong defensive plays in the last few innings to maintain the one-run lead, including snagging a few line drive shots by Spartan hitters.
 
Becca Rogers (3-3) got the win, striking out six and allowing five hits and two earned runs in all seven innings. Marrero (1-2) suffered the loss for NSU, giving up eight hits and three runs, two earned, with five strikeouts in five innings. She also picked up the loss in the second contest after pitching six innings of relief.
 
McNair had three hits on the day for NSU, while Shivery ended the afternoon 4-for-8 with two runs and six RBI, including four in the second contest. Muldowney had three hits in the second game as well.
 
NSU will host Radford on Wednesday at the NSU Softball Field beginning at 1 p.m.