NSU’s Hot Play Continues in 10-2 Win over Coppin State

BALTIMORE- Sophomore Haley Ward continued her torrent play, going 3-for-3 and driving in five runs in a 10-2 win for the Norfolk State softball team over Coppin State Sunday afternoon at the Coppin State Softball Complex.

NSU completed the weekend sweep of the Eagles during the first round of MEAC play for the Northern Division. Ward finished the three-game series 10-for-11 with 12 RBI and had hits in her last 10 at bats. She is hitting 21-for-29 (.724) over her last eight games.

NSU (10-15, 3-0 MEAC) also had big games from junior leadoff hitter Morgan Boyd (2-for-3, three runs) and sophomore Alina Moriarty (3-for-3, two runs, one RBI). Along with Ward, the No. 1-3 hitters in the lineup combined for eight of the team’s 11 hits on the day.

After scoring 25 runs in a doubleheader sweep on Saturday, NSU picked up right where it left off in Sunday’s matinee. After Boyd singled to start the game, Ward tripled and Moriarty doubled to quickly make it 2-0 in favor of the Spartans. Moriarty later came home on a double play.

Ward, who finished a single short of hitting for the cycle, belted an RBI double in the second to score freshman Heather Dunning. NSU left the bases loaded in the second but added two more runs in the fourth for a 6-0 lead. Boyd and Ward walked, and Moriarty singled to load the bases. Senior Gipsy Ramirez knocked in two runs with a two-bagger of her own before Coppin State again got out of a jam.

NSU then added four more runs in the fifth to help win the game by the eight-run rule. Freshman Whitney Williams singled, and one out later Boyd reached base on an error on Coppin State. Ward then followed with a three-run home run, her first of the year, for a 9-0 lead. Moriarty doubled and later scored on a wild pitch to complete the scoring for the Spartans.

Coppin State (5-15, 0-3) tallied a pair of RBI hits in the bottom of the fifth to avoid the shutout.

Junior Jamie Schulle (7-8) picked up the win, pitching all five innings and allowing two earned runs on five hits.

For the complete story, visit www.nsuspartans.com or www.coppinstatesports.com  

Bethune-Cookman Downs Elon, 5-4

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman scored three runs in the top of the seventh to down Elon 5-4 in its final game at the FAU Parents Weekend tournament Sunday afternoon.

The Wildcats (6-27) concluded the tournament with a 2-3 record.

Trailing 3-2, B-CU capitalized on three Elon (11-15) errors to take the lead. Shamaria Engram tied the game when she scored on an error after Brenna Chavez singled, then Joanna Hernandez scored on an error and Chavez on Simone Ceasar’s fielder’s choice.

Kelsey Rodney had two hits for B-CU, including an RBI triple in the first. Engram also had two hits.

Samantha Gale picked up her third victory of the season, walking three and striking out two.

For the complete story, visit www.bcuathletics.com

UMES Uses 8-1 Victory Over Howard To Win First MEAC Series Of Year

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senior Carmen Gurrola went 3-for-3 with three RBI and threw a complete-game two-hitter to lead Maryland Eastern Shore to an 8-1 victory over Howard at Banneker Field on Sunday afternoon. The win in the rubber match gives the Lady Hawks their first MEAC series victory in nearly four years.  UMES has now reached 10 wins on the season, which is just the third time a Hawk team has recorded a double-digit win total in the past decade.

UMES (10-16, 2-1 MEAC) stroked 10 hits in the victory, five of which came in the team’s four-run seventh.  The Lady Hawks had three different student-athletes connect for the long ball in the game as Gurrola and sophomore Morgan King each hit solo shots, while senior Belen Benitez hit a two-run homer in the seventh. The home run by Benitez proved to be the first of her collegiate career. Gurrola allowed just two hits as she fanned five and walked none in her second consecutive complete-game win.

The Lady Hawks began the game with a 1-2-3 inning on offense, before HU’s Jenny Ly hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the frame. King hit her second homer of the series to open up the second but each offense would go silent until the fifth. Gurrola led off the fifth with a solo shot, before junior Cherokee Williams walked, stole second and scored on single up the middle by junior Chelsea Alston.

UMES upped its lead to 4-1 in the sixth when senior Jasmine James led off the inning with a walk and scored two batters later on a Gurrola double to right-center. The women added four insurance runs in the fourth courtesy of a triple by Alston, a two-run bomb by Benitez and an RBI single by freshman Trenece Nash.

Gurrola was on fire throughout the game on the mound as she retired 11-of-12 hitters from the first through the fifth. She concluded the game with three strikeouts in the final three innings and saw just three balls reach the outfield in that span.

Howard (3-13, 1-2 MEAC) saw Ly and Emily Krantz log the only hits of the game. Krantz was saddled with the loss after allowing seven runs (all earned) on four hits in six-plus innings.

For the complete story, visit www.umeshawks.com or www.howard-bison.com