CARY, N.C. — Junior third baseman Dalika Wallace capped her perfect game from the plate with a walk-off single in an 8-7 game one win for the North Carolina Central University softball team over visiting Norfolk State University on Tuesday afternoon at Thomas Brooks Park.
 
The Spartans avoided being swept with a 10-3 triumph in the second game. NCCU moved to 6-11 on the season while NSU departed town at 6-8.
 
NC Central next hosts Youngstown State University in a doubleheader on Tuesday, March 12.
 
GAME ONE: NC Central 8, Norfolk State 7
 
The Spartans scored in four consecutive innings to construct a 7-2 advantage midway through the sixth inning. However, NCCU made its improbable comeback with four runs in the home half of the sixth before knotting the score and walking off for the win in the seventh.
 
Wallace capped the rally with a bases-loaded, blooper single just over the reach of the drawn-in shortstop, allowing sophomore Jacobia Johnson to trot home from third and end the contest in favor of the maroon and gray. Wallace had a huge performance for the victors, going 4 for 4 with a double, two runs scored, two RBI and two stolen bases.
 
A single to left field by Wallace gave NCCU an initial 1-0 advantage in the second before Norfolk State went ahead with three runs in the third and then tacked on two runs in the fourth and one run in both the fifth and sixth innings to lead by five.
 
Freshman Makenna Heimann paced the Spartans offense with two hits and three RBI. Junior Shelby DesChamps also had two hits while scoring twice for the visitors.
 
A couple Norfolk State errors allowed NCCU to start its two-out rally in the sixth, scoring four unearned runs to pull within one run. The frame was capped on a two-run homer by senior Aleyah Evans, who hit her team-high third long ball to straightaway center.
 
NCCU completed the comeback in the seventh. Sophomore Caroline Campbell started the frame with a triple off the fence in the right-center field gap and then scored on a single by Johnson to knot the score. The Spartans committed two more errors, which loaded the bases, before Wallace knocked in Johnson with her seeing-eyed, one-out single.
 
Junior Tamiera Sanchez collected a pair of run-producing singles for the Lady Eagles.
 
Sophomore starting pitcher Kiara Hurley – the reigning MEAC Pitcher of the Week – earned her fourth straight win. Hurley allowed five runs over her first 3 1/3 innings, but she returned to the game and tossed a scoreless seventh inning during NCCU's rally to be credited with the victory.
 
Senior Hunter Halford (2-5) suffered the loss, going the distance for the Spartans with just three of her eight runs allowed being earned. Halford had seven strikeouts without issuing a walk.
 
GAME TWO: Norfolk State 10, NC Central 3
 
The Spartans tallied 10 runs on 11 hits and four walks to avoid the sweep. Senior Kylee Lopez topped NSU's offensive surge with three hits and three RBI.
 
After three scoreless innings by Hurley and senior senior Shannon Buffington, the Spartans opened up the scoring with four runs in the fourth. Norfolk State would once again go on to score in four straight innings.
 
Just like the first game, NCCU trailed by five runs late before attempting a comeback. The Lady Eagles got within two by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Sanchez started the rally with her third hit of the day, a hustle double to center. She scored the first NCCU run on a double down the left field line by freshman Madison Mifsud. Two batters later, Campbell launched her first home run of the season to left-center to account for the other two runs.
 
However, sophomore Skylar Swain entered the contest after the Campbell blast and kept NCCU scoreless for the final 2 1/3 innings to secure her first save. NSU added four insurance runs in the seventh to pull away late as Buffington (2-1) garnered her second win.
 
Hurley (6-6) was saddled with the loss, ending her streak of four wins in four straight appearances.
 
Sophomore Olivia Daniel had two of NCCU's five hits.