NORFOLK, Va. – Junior Kylee Lopez hit two home runs and drove in six to lead the Norfolk State softball team to a 15-1 win over South Carolina State on Friday afternoon at the NSU Softball Field.
 
Lopez hit a pair of two-run homers in the first two innings, then added a two-run single in the third. The Spartans run-ruled the Bulldogs in the first game of the Spartan Classic, piling up 17 hits along the way.
 
Altogether, Lopez batted 3-for-3 with two runs and six RBI. Senior Seana Moriarty batted 3-for-4 with two runs and four RBI as well, hitting a three-run homer as part of a six-run second inning.
 
The Spartans improved to 5-2 overall, and S.C. State fell to 0-6 on the season.
 
Freshman Skylar Swain (2-1) earned the win after allowing one hit and no runs in 2.2 innings of relief.
 
Sophomore Meaghan Barfield got things going in the first with a sharply-hit single between short and third. Lopez then blasted one over the left field fence for a 2-0 lead. Later in the inning, senior Jaylene Pryor doubled past the third base bag and scored when freshman Jazzmaine Hammond dropped one down the right field line.
 
Senior Julianne Gillo started the second inning with a single into left center, and junior Shelby DesChamps reached on a bunt single between third and the pitcher's circle. Moriarty then lofted the first pitch of the at bat over the left field fence to make it 7-0.
 
The Spartans were not done. Barfield doubled to the wall in left center, and Lopez knocked another one over the left field fence. Hammond later tripled off the very top of the center field fence and scored when Swain dropped a single into left center field.
 
Lopez made it 12-0 in the third. Moriarty reached on a single between shortstop and third, and freshman Tuli Iosefa walked. Both runners moved up to third and then scored on Lopez' single into left field.
 
The last three runs of the game for NSU came in the fourth. Sophomore Keira Randolph singled to center, and junior Shannon Buffington walked to put the first two batters on base. Freshman Jade Dixon doubled off the wall in left field to score one run, and a second run came home when the Bulldogs got the out at first on sophomore Cher Jamison's bunt back to the pitcher. Moriarty capped the scoring with a shot off the pitcher's glove that bounced away from the fielder to score Dixon.
 
The Bulldogs spoiled the shutout on the last play of the game when Kaneisha Pettiford singled in a run in the top of the fifth but was thrown out at second on the play for the third out of the inning.
 
Barfield, Hammond and Gillo each had two hits on the day. DesChamps and Barfield each scored twice as well.
 
NSU resumes play in the tournament on Saturday when it hosts the Bulldogs for a doubleheader beginning at noon.