Dover (May 8, 2008) --- Delaware State scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning to defeat North Carolina A&T 5-1 in the opening round of the 2008 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Softball Tournament in Ormond Beach, Fla. this afternoon. The Hornets, seeded third in the MEAC North, will take on #4 South seed Norfolk State in a second round game at 7:00 this evening.

The score was 1-1 before Delaware State used four hits and took advantage of two North Carolina A&T errors to tally four runs in the seventh. The rally began with one out when Courtney Taylor reached on an error by NCA&T shortstop Yahamma White. Megan Lambertz then reached base on another error by White. Taylor scored on the play to give the Hornets a 2-1 lead. Delaware State had runners at first and third with two out when Sha Tabor singled to right to stretch the Hornets' lead to 3-1. JoJo Shields and Aisha Holloman added run scoring singles in the inning to give DSU a four-run lead.

Shields, playing in her home state of Florida for the first time since joining the Hornets this season, was 3-for-4 at the plate, while Tabor, Holloman and Andrea Waters had two hits each.

Delaware State starter and winning pitcher Brittney Ruark (12-10) retired the Aggies in order in the bottom of the seventh to nail down the victory.     

Ruark scattered five singles. She struck out three and walked one in the complete game effort.

The contest was scoreless until the top of the sixth when Waters led off the inning with a double and scored on a one out single by Holloman to put the Hornets in front.

North Carolina A&T answered in the bottom of the inning when White singled to lead off the inning, and scored on a sacrifice fly to Lillian Bullock to tie the game.

The Hornets also avenged a 5-4 loss to North Carolina A&T in the 2007 MEAC Tournament semifinals. The loss eliminated DSU from the '07 tourney.

Delaware State has won six straight MEAC Tournament openers since 2002.