Box Score

NORFOLK, Va. – Lydia Rodriguez hit a grand slam and added six RBI all-together for Morgan State in a 9-1 win over the Norfolk State softball team Friday evening in the opening game of the weekend-long Spartan Invitational.

Rodriguez smacked a two-run double in the four-run third for the Bears, then knocked one over the right-center field fence in the fifth inning as part of her 2-for-3 night. Morgan State improved to 5-6 on the year, while the Spartans fell to 2-3 overall.

Megan Johnson (1-1) picked up the win for the Bears, giving up four hits and one earned run in all five innings. Freshman Jamie Schulle (1-2) suffered the loss for NSU, giving up eight runs – five earned – on four hits in 4+ innings.

Morgan State got on the board first in the top of the first inning on an RBI groundout, but NSU tied it back up at 1-1 in the bottom of the second. Junior left fielder Casey Pomeroy doubled into the right-center field gap to score freshman Kathy Cortez, who had singled up the middle to open the inning.

The Bears, however, plated four runners in the top of the third. A fielding error on the Spartans allowed the first run to score, then an RBI single by Tiffany Rubin got the second run across before Rodriguez hit her two-run double.

After a pair of singles and a walk opened up the top of the fifth, junior Elizabeth Castaneda came in for Schulle. Rodriguez then launched a 1-1 pitch over the fence for the final scoring margin.

The tournament will resume Saturday at 9 a.m., while NSU will be back on the field at 11 a.m. against George Washington.