NORFOLK, Va. – For the second day in a row, a Norfolk State softball record has been broken. With the Spartans' 9-1 win over North Carolina Central, NSU is now on an 11-game winning streak, the longest in the team's Division I era.
The win also marked another special milestone as the victory was the 100th career win for head coach James Inzana.
It didn't take long for the Spartans to get on the scoreboard as leadoff hitter Alison Guckin, who broke the team's Division I stolen base record on Saturday, collected her first home run of her career on a 0-1 pitch and put the Spartans up early.
After Imani Moore singled through the right side, Tuli Iosefa crushed a 2-2 pitch over the center field fence for the third straight-hit for NSU to start the game with a 3-0 lead.
The second inning picked up where the first left off. Yrral Davis led off with a double to center field and Morgan Johnson decided to trade places with her own double to right center to score Davis. After Guckin walked on five pitches in her second at bat, Iosefa collected not only her second hit, but her second home run of the game with a 3-RBI home run that put the Spartans ahead by seven after just two innings.
The Eagles used a pair of singles and a walk to prevent the shutout in the top of the third and bring the lead back down to six through three complete. The bottom of the frame saw Lily Potter drop a bunt single right in front of home plate before a shallow hit double to center field that rolled to the fence by Rylie Gilbreath scored another Spartan run. Morgan Johnson, two batters later, hit a deep sacrifice fly out to center field that scored Gilbreath and put the NSU lead at eight after three.
It was a quick fourth inning for both teams as only one baserunner reached when Iosefa was hit by a pitch. In the top of the fifth, NCCU went three up, three down to preserve the 9-1, 5-inning win for the Spartans.
Alexis Robinson (14-2) got the win in relief for NSU. Her 14 wins is third best all-time in the Division I era for the Spartans. She added three strikeouts on the day.
NSU (27-15, 12-3 MEAC) will step away for a midweek doubleheader at Hampton on Wednesday April 20. The non-conference matchup with the Lady Pirates gets underway at 1 p.m.
