NORFOLK, Va. – Coppin State's softball team dropped its opening game of the MEAC Tournament to Norfolk State, 8-1, on Wednesday afternoon at NSU Softball Field. The Eagles will next take on either Morgan State or N.C. Central on Thursday, May 12 at 12 pm.
Isabella Zalba, who collected Second Team All-Conference honors, gave Coppin a 1-0 lead in the first innings with a sacrifice fly to center field.
Vanessa Carrizosa scored on the play after she was hit by a pitch and advanced to third following a walk issued to
Brissa Alvarado, and a wild pitch.
Norfolk State came right back with two runs in its half of the first as the Eagles failed to drive in runners, stranding seven on base in the final six innings.
Shawnee Ronyak and
Melanie Aguilera both drew walks in the second and the Spartans tacked on two more runs in the third to go up 4-1. Coppin had its best chance to score in the fifth as
Jaslyn Sanchez reached on a walk, followed by
Alexis Genovese's single. Alvarado drew her second walk of the game with two outs but the Eagles left the bases loaded.
The Spartans added one more run in the fifth and scored three in the sixth as the Eagles were retired in the seventh.
A Third team All-MEAC honoree, Alvarado, and Ronyak were the only CSU players to reach base twice as Genovese had the team's lone hit.
Carrizosa, an All-Conference utility player, went the distance from the circle, allowing five earned runs on 11 hits in 6.0 innings.
