Norfolk State extends win streak in sweep of Howard
NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State softball team ran its win streak to seven with another dominating offensive performance on Monday afternoon against Howard at the NSU Softball Field. The Spartans tallied 32 hits and set or tied a pair of Division I home run records during a doubleheader sweep of the Bison, 13-1 and 18-1.
NSU ran its MEAC record to 5-0, and its overall mark to 11-13, thanks to an offense that produced double-digit hits for the sixth game in a row. The Spartans set the D-I record with five homers in the second game, including one of the inside the park variety from freshman Devon Bitler.
Norfolk State already has 25 home runs this season, tying the 2006 and ’13 teams for the most in the D-I era as well. The overall fastpitch record is 35 set in 1997.
NSU has now won seven in a row and eight out of its last nine ballgames.
Freshman Kayla McNair had a solid outing in game 2, going 4-for-5 with three runs and six RBI. Bitler finished 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBI, while the duo of sophomore Heather Dunning and senior Morgan Boyd hit a combined 7-for-8 with six runs and two RBI in the second game.
Senior Jamie Schulle (9-5), meanwhile, pitched a pair of five-inning gems, giving up a combined eight hits and two earned runs with just one walk over the course of the day.
In the second game, the Spartan offense got going quickly. Boyd walked and eventually got to third on Dunning’s sacrifice bunt attempt. One out later, McNair brought home both with a single into center, and sophomore Whitney Williams made it 4-0 with a high, deep shot over the center-field fence.
In the second inning, Boyd reached on a bunt single and scored from second when Dunning laid down another bunt down the line. McNair blasted her third homer of the season one out later, and sophomore Alina Moriarty and Williams each singled to set up Bitler.
The left-handed slapper hit a hard shot back up the middle, a little to the second base side of the bag, and was able to race all the way home when Howard center field Jenny Ly came up on the hit and ran right past the ball.
Junior Robyn Mitchell hit a solo home run in the top of the third, and Bitler and senior Kathy Cortez hit RBI singles later in the inning for a 13-1 lead. Two more runs came home when Dunning hit a bases-loaded single through the hole between first and second and the right fielder booted the ball to allow the second run to score.
Senior Nikki Jones hit a pinch-hit home run deep over the left center field fence in the fourth, and McNair hit another two-run single in the seventh to score Boyd and Dunning for the final runs of the game.
In the first game, NSU scored eight runs in the first two innings against the Bison (1-18, 0-5 MEAC). Mitchell’s RBI single with no outs got things going, and then one out later she and Dunning scored on a wild pitch and an error on the same play.
Two errors on the Bison – they had 12 over the two games – and a single into left by Boyd loaded the bases in the second inning. The first two of the five runs in the inning scored on another Howard error at first, and then one more run came home thanks to an error on a fielder’s choice from Moriarty.
Williams hit a two-run single later in the inning for an 8-1 lead.
Dunning hit an RBI groundout in the third, and NSU added four more runs in the fifth to run-rule the Bison. Mitchell and Moriarty hit back-to-back RBI doubles into the gaps, and the seventh error of the game for HU brought home another run. Junior Sommer Di Fulgo hit a sac fly for the final margin of victory.
Boyd and Dunning continued to lead the Spartan offense at the top of the lineup. Boyd finished 6-for-8 on the day with five runs and four stolen bases, while Dunning hit 4-for-7 with six runs and three RBI.
Williams had a solid day as well with two runs and four RBI on 5-for-8 hitting
Only three of the 13 runs scored by NSU in the first game were earned.
The two teams will play the third game of the series on April 11 at 6 p.m. at NSU.
The Spartans will be back on the field on Wednesday when they host George Mason for a doubleheader at 3 p.m.
For complete story, visit www.nsuspartans.com or www.hubison.com
Anguiano pitches one-hit shutout in Bethune-Cookman win
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Sabrina Anguiano threw a one-hit shutout as Bethune-Cookman concluded a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Southern Division sweep of North Carolina Central with a 2-0 victory Monday at Sunnyland Park.
The Wildcats (13-22 overall, 3-0 MEAC) blanked the Eagles (4-23,0-3) all three game of the series, committing no errors and only allowing one runner to reach third.
Anguiano retired the first nine batters she faced, and after giving up a hit by pitch and an infield bunt in the fourth, sent the final 11 Eagle batters in order to record her second shutout of the season.
B-CU took a 1-0 lead in the first when Calesha Shelley led off with a double and scored on Kaitlin Alamprese’s double.
Kelsey Rodney added an insurance run in the sixth with a leadoff homer. It was her first of the season.
Shelley finished with two hits for the Wildcats. Melissa Berouty and Sophia Ortega also had hits.
B-CU returns to action Saturday with a three-game MEAC series at South Carolina State.
For complete story, visit www.bcuathletics.com or www.nccueaglepride.com
Hornets Rally Late at Home, Defeat Hampton 10-9 in MEAC Opener
DOVER, Del. – Playing for the first time in a little over week due to snow storms and rain showers, the Delaware State softball team (16-7, 1-0 MEAC) opened MEAC play Monday evening at home with a thrilling eight-run seventh inning rally to defeat the Hampton Pirates (12-13, 3-1 MEAC) in game one of a three-game set, 10-9.
With this win, the Hornets picked up their fourth consecutive victory and snapped HU’s three-game winning streak.
After taking a 2-0 lead in the first, DSU allowed nine runs between the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, headlined by HU’s Taylor McCoy’s three-run RBI-double in what seemed like to put the game out of reach with a commanding 9-2 lead in the sixth.
After outfielder Nicole Gazzola led off the frame grounding out to shortstop Margaret Wilkins, DSU’s Jessica Madrid and Tara Tursellino drew back-to-back walks, followed by a Sandy Hawthorne single to load the bases for infielder Jordan Stamps.
Coming into tonight’s game tied for the team lead in home runs with Rochelle Sablay (3), who was inactive due to a lower leg injury, Stamps (4) belted one deep to left field off starter Jailynn Jackson (8-8) for a grand slam to make it a 9-6 ball game.
Next up, DSU’s Danielle Velez kept the momentum going with a single through the right side and outfielder Morgan Hobbs reaching first on a Pirate error in the next at-bat. Unfortunately, Jackson fanned ensuing batter Kaitlyn Slater for her game-high sixth strikeout of the night.
Jackson would then be replaced by Jecholia Pratt (4-5) in attempt to pick up the save, yet the wheels started to unravel for Hampton. The Pirates later committed its second error of the inning when infielder Chloe Oro sent a fly ball to center field, resulting in pinch runner Nkili Matthews advancing to third and Velez scoring to cut the deficit to two.
Then, after Jackson was reinserted in the circle, Gazzola reached first by way of Hampton’s third error of the inning as Matthews scored to make it a one-run contest, followed by Madrid drawing her second walk in the final frame to load the bases for Tursellino.
Thankfully, Tursellino churned out a bloop game-tying RBI-single to center for her only hit of the day, whereas outfielder Diamond Ponds’ throw into the infield was too hot to handle for HU’s fourth error of the seventh, resulting in Gazzola scoring the game-winning run.
At game’s end, the Hornets finished with 10 hits, compared to HU’s 11, with Madrid, Hawthorne and Velez all totaling two each. Additionally, Madrid and Gazzola scored a team-high two runs.
Pitching wise, starter Vanessa Ciocatto (6-3) allowed 11 hits, eight earned runs, two walks and tallied four K’s in five innings before getting replaced by senior Rachel Meagley (2-2), who recorded two strikeouts in the seventh.
Four Hampton players, on the other hand, finished with two or more hits, led by McCoy going to 2-for-3 with two runs, three RBI and a walk. Defensively, however, the Pirates committed six errors, whereas Jackson finished the day allowing five earned runs and four walks.
Coming up, the Columbia Blue & Red will aim for the series sweep in tomorrow afternoon’s doubleheader (12 p.m. – 2 p.m.).
For complete story, visit www.dsuhornets.com or www.hamptonpirates.com