NORFOLK, Va. – Sophomore Hunter Halford hit the go-ahead two-run home run in game 1 and earned the win in the circle at the same time as the Norfolk State softball team split a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon against Marist at the NSU Softball Field.
 
The Spartans held off a late rally by the Red Foxes to win the first contest, 4-3. The Spartans could only score one run early in game 2 despite numerous chances, and Marist came away with a 6-2 victory as both teams began their 2017 seasons on Saturday.
 
Halford and sophomore Kylee Lopez did all the damage in the first contest. Lopez hit a two-run single at the start of the game, and Halford drove one over the fence in the sixth to score two more runs. She then held off the Red Foxes in the seventh to earn the victory.
 
Lopez got NSU started in the first inning of the season. Senior Kayla McNair singled, and freshman Meaghan Barfield walked to put runners on base. After a wild pitch moved them up, Lopez lined a single into deep left center to bring both home for an early 2-0 lead.
 
Marist got a run back in the top of the fourth on Brittany Colombo's RBI double, and Brandi Coon hit an opposite field homer to left center in the fifth to tie it up at 2-2.
 
But the Spartans struck back in the sixth. With one out, Lopez lined a single into center field, and Halford drove a 2-2 pitch over the right field fence. The ball just grazed the top of the fence as it went over, putting the Spartans ahead by two.
 
Thanks in part to a double from junior Jaylene Pryor, NSU loaded the bases later in the inning. Relief pitcher Brooke Peterson got out of the inning without any more damage to keep the margin at two.
 
The Red Foxes threatened to tie it or even take the lead in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs and a runner on second, Ali Milam hit a pinch-hit RBI single to make it 4-3. Rebecca Freeman doubled off the third base bag, which may have actually saved a run, to get Milam to third. Halford then induced a groundout to short to end the game.
 
She pitched all seven innings and gave up nine hits and three earned runs. Lopez and senior Devon Bitler each had two hits.
 
Lopez drew a bases-loaded walk, the third of the frame, to give NSU an early 1-0 lead in the first inning of game 2. Marist starter Megan Beiermeister, though, got a pair of groundouts, including one that got the second out at home, to keep it a 1-0 game.
 
Janna Korak then tied it up in the top half of the next frame with a solo shot to left field. After NSU left the bases loaded in the second and two more runners on base in the third, Amanda Sartori made it 2-1 in favor of the Red Foxes with a sac fly to right center in the fourth. That was the start of a four-run inning that also included a two-run single from Casey Page later in the frame.
 
NSU got one run back in the fourth when Barfield doubled and scored on McNair's single through the right side of the infield. Marist added one more score in the sixth for the final margin.
 
Despite walking five batters in four innings, Beiermeister got the win after allowing both runs. Kallen Leeseberg struck out five in three innings of work to earn the save.
 
The Spartans left 10 runners on base in game 2 and 17 altogether for the day. Barfield and Lopez each had two hits in the second contest.
 
NSU will stay home to host Hartford and Buffalo next weekend as part of the Spartan Classic. NSU plays at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday against Hartford and then takes on Buffalo right after.