DOVER, Del. – Nursing a two-run lead in the latter stages of the game, host Delaware State scored six runs in the sixth inning to defeat the Norfolk State softball team 8-0 in game 1 on Saturday afternoon at DSU's Hornets Nest Field. The Hornets then needed all seven innings in game 2 to come away with a 3-1 victory.
The Hornets won in six innings in the first game, while the Spartans were limited to just three hits. They had five hits in the second contest, with junior
Hunter Halford accounting for four of the team's eight hits on the day.
DSU stayed undefeated in MEAC play at 5-0 while improving to 7-17 overall. The Spartans fell to 11-20 overall, 1-4 in the league.
The Hornets led just 2-0 through the first five innings of game 1, scoring a pair in the third on NSU's second error of the inning. Then in the sixth, Alyssa Diaz and Khaliyah Flournory each had two-run hits, and Vanessa Washington hit an RBI double later in the inning to end the game on the eight-run rule.
Flournory and Desiree Moreno each went 3-for-4 for the Hornets. Hannah Shields, meanwhile, improved to 3-7 after giving up just three hits in six shutout innings.
Alexis Goldsby pitched all seven innings for DSU in game 2, allowing five hits and one earned run to move her personal record to 3-6.
The Hornets scored all three of their runs in the second, loading the bases and then getting a two-out, three-run double from Flournory. She finished with five RBI in the two games.
The Spartans scored their lone run of the day in the top of the third of game 2. Sophomore
Keira Randolph walked with one out and then came home on a double to left off the bat of senior
Jaylene Pryor. Halford later singled, but both she and Pryor were thrown out on the play to end that rally.
NSU had its best chance to close the gap in the fifth after back-to-back singles by freshmen
Jazzmaine Hammond and
Kayla Porter. The Spartans, however, could not push a run across as Goldsby pitched well late in the game.
Halford batted 4-for-6 on the day.
The teams will finish out the series Sunday at noon.