NORFOLK, Va. - North Carolina A&T pitcher Jennifer Luper led her team to a 5-3 MEAC win over Norfolk State at the NSU Softball Field on Sunday, April 26. Luper hit a two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to seal the win for the Lady Aggies (20-19, 4-5 MEAC) and pitched a nine-hit, three run complete game while striking out five batters.

NSU (19-21, 6-6 MEAC) got on the board early thanks to back-to-back doubles by Jamie Raab and Rebecca Barnes in the bottom of the first inning, giving the Spartans a 1-0 lead.

Luper scored the Lady Aggies' first run in the top of the fifth inning on a throwing error by Spartan third baseman Candice Vasquez (Montclair, Calif.) to tie things up 1-all. A&T took the lead on an RBI triple by Jessie Larson in the sixth.

With the game on the line in the bottom of the seventh, the Spartans picked up one run on Raab's RBI single to center field. NSU could not produce any more runs, sending the game into extra innings.

A&T scored their first run in the eighth on an RBI groundout by Lillian Bullock. One batter later, Luper took Elizabeth Castaneda's 2-2 pitch straight over the center field fence to put A&T up 5-2.

NSU only got one run in the eighth on Amelia Lewis' RBI single up the middle with two outs. 

Spartan starter Alyssa Velazquez pitched 5.1 innings and allowed seven hits and two runs (one earned) in the losing effort. Castaneda gave up two hits and three runs in 2.2 relief innings.

Raab, Barnes and Meghan Ramsey each went 2-for-4 for NSU. Luper led the Lady Aggies at the plate by going 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. 

The Spartans play their final home doubleheader at 5 p.m. on Wednesday when they host the Lady Pirates of Hampton University. Senior outfielder/pitcher Ky Brown will be honored prior to the game in the Senior Day activities.