NORFOLK, Va. – The Virginia State softball team came to Norfolk winners of seven of its last eight games but walked away from the NSU Softball Field with a doubleheader loss to the Norfolk State softball team on Wednesday evening. The Spartans came from behind in game one and never trailed in game two for the pair of wins.
The games with the Trojans marked the first time in 25 years that the two teams met on the diamond since an 11-5 win by the Spartans on April 2, 1997. It was the last season NSU was a member of the CIAA (Division II) before transitioning to the MEAC and Division I.
It hadn't taken long before the Spartans got on the scoreboard in game one. Lily Potter started off with a full-count walk and then stole second and third base on subsequent pitches. With one out, Kenna Higa reached on a fielding error by the first baseman that allowed Potter to score from third.
NSU added to its score in the second. With one out and runners on first and second, Morgan Johnson hit a single to center field that pushed Yrral Davis to second and Rylie Gilbreath to third. In her second plate appearance of the game, Potter hit her own single to center that scored Gilbreath. A full count walk by Alison Guckin brought in Davis as the Spartans led 3-0 after two.
After two scoreless innings for both teams, the Trojans got on the scoreboard in a big way in the fifth. With runners on first and second, Samantha Cunningham scored from second when a Spartan error on an attempt to get the force out at second allowed her to advance both bases. The next batter reached on a second error by NSU to pull the Trojans within one. Macy Beville was hit by a pitched that advanced each runner and tied the score at 3-3. A full-count walk to Machenzie Flood allowed VSU to take a 4-3 heading to the bottom of the inning.
Cam Andersen got things started for the Spartans with a first-pitch single up the middle. Loren Hudson up with her own hit, but hers sailed deep over the center field fence on a 1-0 count that allowed NSU to retake the lead. After loading the bases in the top of the sixth, Johnson threw home to Hudson for the force out, preventing the Trojans from tying up the score.
Vallejo induced a ground out and picked up her sixth strikeout of the game before a ground out to shortstop ended game one in favor of NSU, 5-4. Andersen collected her second win of the season and Vallejo earned her second save.
Runs were a little more scarce in game two with the Spartans tallying their first run in the second inning. With one out, Imani Moore doubled to left center and Davis hit a deep ball to right center for a stand-up triple, scoring Moore.
In a near identical spot to Hudson from the first game, Gabby Vaughan homered to center field on a 2-2 count to extend the Spartan lead to 2-0. In the bottom of the sixth, Lauren Sheehan led off with a single to right and two batters later Elizabeth Ritchie singled straight up the middle putting a runner in scoring position with one out. With no one covering the base, Sheehan stole third for her third stolen base of the day. Hannah Jessie grounded out to the shortstop but not before Sheehan added a final run for the Spartans in the game.
After a leadoff walk, Maison Myers came into pitch. A bases-loaded walk scored the lone run for the Trojans as Myers closed out the game with a ground out which she threw to first. Doubling her innings pitch in just the one frame, Myers also pitched her way to her first save of the season.
NSU (18-15, 3-3 MEAC) will travel the next two weekends, beginning with a series at Coppin State. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday, April 2 starting at 1 p.m. before the Spartans and Eagles wrap up the three game set on Sunday, April 3 with a single game at 12 noon.
