WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Norfolk State softball team won a pitcher's duel before its bats exploded in the second game on the way to a sweep of Howard on Saturday afternoon at Nationals Youth Academy.
 
Junior Hunter Halford accounted for all of the scoring and limited Howard's offense from the circle in a 2-0 win in the first game. The Spartans then batted around in the second and third innings of game 2 in an 18-1 victory.
 
The wins improved NSU's MEAC record to 7-7 and its overall mark to 17-23. Game 2 saw the Spartans score their most runs in a game since plating 18 in a contest at Maryland Eastern Shore two years ago.
 
Halford was the star of the first game of the afternoon. She hit solo home runs in the first and sixth innings to account for the only runs of the game. She had two of the Spartans' five hits in the contest while hitting her seventh and eighth home runs of the year.
 
She also improved to 5-9 in the circle after pitching a two-hit shutout. She struck out seven and walked just one in all seven innings. The Bison had three base runners all game but officially left just one runner on base.
 
Desiree Renteria (2-8) took the loss for the Bison after allowing all five hits and two earned runs in seven innings.
 
The Spartans then pounded out 12 hits and benefitted from seven walks and four hit-by-pitches in the second game. Howard (4-33 overall, 2-8 MEAC) had just three hits as two NSU pitchers limited the Bison to one unearned run.
 
Five players drove in at least two runs, and six players scored at least twice in the win. Along the way, junior Kylee Lopez hit her 11^th home run of the season, tying her with Micki Rodriguez for the most by an NSU player in the Division I era. It also moved her to within one of the overall school record of 12 held by Lekita Wilson.
 
Lopez finished 2-for-4 with three RBI. Junior Shelby DesChamps hit 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBI at the top of the lineup, while freshman Tuli Iosefa batted 2-for-3 with four RBI at the No. 2 spot, including a three-run home run in the second inning.
 
The Spartans scored nine runs in that inning and sent 14 batters to the plate. They loaded the bases, and freshman Jazzmaine Hammond hit a two-run single to get the action started. DesChamps hit an RBI single before Iosefa's three-run blast to left field. But the Spartans were not done.
 
Halford walked and later scored on an error. Then with two outs and two runners on base, freshman Kayla Porter delivered with an RBI single before another error on the Bison made it 9-0.
 
Howard got one run back in the second, but the Bison left the bases loaded. In the end, it did not matter, as NSU batted around again in the third while scoring six more runs.
 
DesChamps singled, and two walks loaded the bases. Lopez then hit a sac fly. A couple batters later, and with two outs in the inning, Porter hit a two-run single for a 12-0 advantage. Senior Julianne Gillo got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score another run, and DesChamps brought home two more on a fielder's choice when the Bison could not get an out on the play.
 
Norfolk State closed out the scoring in the fifth before ending the game after five innings due to the eight-run rule. In that fifth frame, sophomore Keira Randolph walked and DesChamps doubled before Iosefa hit a sac fly to left. Lopez later blasted a two-run shot down the line for the final two runs of the game.
 
Porter batted 3-for-3 with two runs and three RBI, while Hammond hit 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBI as well. Seniors Jaylene Pryor and Seana Moriarty each scored three runs as well.
 
Freshman Skylar Swain (7-6) earned the win in relief, pitching 3.2 innings and allowing two hits without giving up a run.
 
NSU and Howard will play the third game of the series on Sunday at 2 p.m.