Softball

Norfolk State Cruises Past Coppin State, 8-1

Box Score | Championship Central 

NORFOLK, Va., May 11, 2022 – Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Player of the Year Tuli Iosefa blasted two home runs to help No. 3 Norfolk State to an 8-1 win over No. 6 Coppin State on Wednesday in the 2022 MEAC Softball Championship.
 
The Spartans (32-21) advance to tonight’s 6 p.m. game against No. 2 Howard. The Eagles will play North Carolina Central at 12 p.m. on Thursday.
 
CSU (7-36) struck first on a sacrifice fly by Isabella Zalba to put the Eagles up 1-0 in the first inning.
 
NSU wasted no time in getting on the board in the bottom of the inning. After Alison Guckin grounded out to the catcher for the first out of the inning, Iosefa hit the 30th home run of her career to left center field. MEAC Co-Rookie of the Year Kenna Higa followed Iosefa with a homer of her own, this one to right center to give the Spartans a 2-1 lead.
 
The Spartans secured two runs in the third inning and one in the fifth to take a 5-1 lead over the Eagles. Iosefa accounted for NSU’s three runs in the sixth on a three-run homer to center field to end the scoring for the game.
 
Iosefa, who now holds the NSU record for career home runs in the Division I era (31), went 3-for-4 with three runs and four RBIs. Morgan Johnson was 2-for-2 with a run and six other Spartans recorded at least one hit. Joanna Vallejo pitched 4.2 shutout innings in relief for the win.
 
Alexis Genovese had CSU’s only hit. Vanessa Carrizosa suffered the loss, pitching 6.0 innings in relief and allowing 11 hits and eight runs (five earned).
 
For more information on the 2022 MEAC Softball Championships, please visit the Championship Central page.
 
 
About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is in its 51st year of intercollegiate competition with the 2021-22 academic school year. Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC is made up of eight outstanding historically Black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina Central University and South Carolina State University.