BOX SCORE

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. - A two-RBI double by Desiree Moreno in the bottom of the sixth broke a deadlocked game as Delaware State held off Coppin State 7-5 in the first set of elimination round games of the 2017 MEAC Softball Tournament.

Delaware State entered the contest with little time to regroup following an emotional 10-inning loss to North Carolina A&T State. It took DSU a grand total of 14 innings to score its first runs of the tourney as they jumped ahead 4-0 after three innings of action.

Coppin State battled back in the fourth and trailed 4-3 courtesy of Nicole Ullman's three-RBI double. DSU would up its lead to 5-3 after an RBI single from Jasmine Melgoza in the fourth but CSU made things interesting in the fifth on Hatika James' solo homer and Cayla Brown's RBI to knot the contest at 5-all.

With one out in the sixth, Melgoza hit a one-out double down the right field line and moved to third on Sabrina Quarles' single. Desiree Moreno drove in the go-ahead runs for the final outcome as Coppin State failed to score in the final frame.

Melgoza, Quarles and Mike Lumsden posted three hits apiece with Moreno leading with two RBI. Brown led DSU with three hits and an RBI. Jessica Shalongo (4-5) picked up the win in relief for the Hornets while Shelby Spaziani was tagged with the loss.

Delaware State remains alive and will play the loser of the Bethune-Cookman/Hampton contest Friday at 10 a.m. while Coppin State's season comes to an end.