Norfolk State won a pair of nail biters against Savannah State, sweeping the Tigers, 6-5, 3-2, Monday afternoon at the NSU Softball Field.

Freshman Nikki Jones singled with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to score the winning run in Game 1 after NSU had rallied from an early 3-0 deficit. The Spartans improved to 7-13 overall on the season with the Game 2 victory as senior Alyssa Velazquez shut down the offense of Savannah State (10-20).

Velazquez gave up five hits, two earned runs and struck out four to earn her second win of the year. Senior left fielder Jeanette Sauceda went 3-for-3 at the plate and doubled home the eventual winning run in the fifth inning. In Game 1, NSU pounded out 13 hits, including three in the Spartans' final at bat in the seventh after the Tigers had pushed across the tying run in the top half of the inning.

Junior Elizabeth Castaneda (1-2) earned the win, giving up two earned runs on six hits in 3.1 innings in relief of junior starter Casey Pomeroy. Madison Hedderly (7-11) suffered the loss in Game 1, giving up six runs, three earned, on 13 hits with seven strikeouts in 6.2 innings. Tiffany Davies (2-13) gave up all eight hits in Game 2 for the Tigers, allowing three runs, one earned, in six innings.

Junior Whitney Holland went 3-for-4 with two RBI in Game 1, while Velazquez, Jones and sophomore Gipsy Ramirez each added two hits. Jones added a pair of RBI, including her first home run of the season in the sixth inning. Junior Danielle Wright had a pair of hits in Game 2.

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