NORFOLK, Va. – Youngstown State threw a six-inning no-hitter against the Norfolk State softball team, which fell twice on Saturday afternoon in the Pirate Classic at the NSU Softball Field.
 
YSU's Elle Buffenbarger struck out eight in their six-inning, 8-0 victory over the Spartans in the last game of the day. Norfolk State had nearly rallied for the win in the game prior, but Hartford held on to win 5-4 with the Spartans holding runners on second and third.
 
NSU fell to 2-4 on the season.
 
That rally against the Hawks (3-3) came after the Spartans had fallen behind by a 5-0 score.
 
Hartford got on the board quickly in the first with a two-run home run from Danielle Rocheleau with no outs. Kelsey Galevich later made it 5-0 in favor of the Hawks with the three-run home run in the fifth.
 
Sophomore Gabby Vaughan gave NSU its first run of the game in the fourth. Singles by senior Shelby DesChamps and freshman Imani Moore put a pair of runners on base, and Vaughan doubled home a run with a shot to the left field fence.
 
NSU got another run in the sixth when DesChamps walked, went to second on a groundout, and scored on junior Jazzmaine Hammond's soft single to left-center. Then in the seventh, Hartford nearly gave the game away.
 
The Hawks got the first two outs, but freshman Raven Blair beat out a hit to short. She swiped second and third, and freshman Lacey Beale drew a pinch-hit walk. Another pinch-hitter, senior Keira Randolph beat out a hit between the pitcher's circle and first to score Blair.
 
Beale made it to third on the play, and she came home when the throw down to second on Randolph's stolen base attempt got away from the fielder. Freshman Elizabeth Ritchie drew another walk as a pinch hitter, and Hammond re-entered the game and immediately stole second. But with Randolph ready to score from third, relief pitcher Julianna Kocenski got the last out on just NSU's third strikeout at the plate all game.
 
Lauren Card (1-1) earned the win for Hartford after allowing five hits and two earned runs in 5.1 innings of work.
 
DesChamps had two hits and scored two runs for NSU. Sophomore Lily Potter gave up just one hit in three innings of relief to keep the margin close for the Spartans.
 
The second game of the day for the Spartans did not go as well. Despite drawing six walks, they were unable to score against Youngstown State (4-3). The Penguins began the game with two runs in the first, and a four-run fifth highlighted by two bases-loaded walks broke the game open.
 
The Spartans will host Sacred Heart at 9 a.m. on Sunday and then Youngstown State at 1 p.m. to finish out the first of three straight weekends of the Pirate Classic run by Hampton.