NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State softball team kicked off their 2022 season in style with a pair of walk-off wins over Hartford as part of the NSU-Hampton Classic being played on the NSU Softball Field on Friday afternoon. The Spartans scored five unanswered runs in the final three innings of game one while a hit batter with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth in game two gave NSU a pair of victories.
The wins marked the first time since the 2011 season that the Spartans opened the season 2-0.
The two teams played a defensive game the first three innings before the Hawks hit a home run over the left field fence in the top of the fourth to go ahead 1-0.
But it was in the fifth inning that Hartford did most of their damage. After a double down the left field line put a runner in scoring position with just one out, the Hawks hit a triple to push the lead to two. A hard hit single towards first on the next batter scored the runner from third extending the lead to three. Hartford scored its final run of the inning after another double down the left side of the field pushed the lead to 4-0.
The Spartans began to chip away in the bottom of the inning when freshman third baseman Kenna Higa hit her first career home run in almost the same spot over the left field fence as the Hawks had the previous inning, pulling NSU back within three runs.
Hartford went four up, three down in the top of the six without scoring before the Spartans got to work in the bottom half of the frame. Redshirt senior Tuli Iosefa started off with a single to left field. Junior catcher Loren Hudson was hit by a pitch which advance freshman Victoria Taylor who was pinch running for Iosefa.
Next, it was senior Gabby Vaughan's turn to do some damage as she hit a high and deep shot over the left center field fence scoring both Taylor and Rylie Gilbreath, who was also pinch running, evening the score at four runs each.
Junior pitcher Alexis Robinson got the Hawks to go down in order in the top of the seventh before senior Alison Guckin slapped the ball over the first baseman and into right field. Redshirt sophomore Yrral Davis, who was on second sped around the bases and score the walk-off run and gave the Spartans the season-opening victory.
Robinson got the win in the circle, pitching the final 2.1 innings and striking out two.
NSU looked to continue the momentum in game two of the doubleheader when junior Imani Moore scored junior Morgan Johnson from third in the bottom of the third inning. The Hawks replied in the top of the fourth when a double to right-center that went to the warning track scored the runner on first who had a lead to start with, tying the game at one run apiece.
Both teams put multiple runners on base over the next three innings, but none were able to cross home plate, so the game headed to extra innings. Both teams scored in the first bonus frame keeping the game going at 2-2 heading into the ninth.
With the last out from the previous inning starting off on second bade, the Hawks made a timely error when the first batter of the ninth hit a sharp ball to Johnson at shortstop, who reached over and tagged the leadoff runner. Despite having a runner on second and third later in the inning, Hartford could not score which set up another potential walk-off scenario.
Higa was placed on second to start before Gilbreath popped up to second base. Freshman pitcher Brierra Tyler used a keen eye and earned just the second walk for the Spartans combined in both games. Johnson followed that up with a long single to right field, loading the bases with just one out. The very first pitch to Davis hit her walking in the game-winning run from third.
Tyler got the win for the Spartans in her first career appearance, walking one.
NSU (2-0) returns to the diamond on Saturday morning facing off against Hampton at 10:30 a.m.
