Dover (May 8, 2008) --- The Delaware State softball team blew a four-run lead in the top of the seventh inning before rallying in the bottom of the inning for a 7-6 win over Norfolk State in the 2008 MEAC Tournament in Ormond Beach, Fla. this evening. The Hornets, who defeated North Carolina A&T 5-1 earlier in the day, are 2-0 in the tournament and will face Howard in a winners' bracket contest on Friday at 11:30 a.m. DSU and Howard and Bison are the only unbeaten teams in the double-elimination tourney.

Delaware State, 27-23,  scored the winning run on an infield single by JoJo Shields with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning. Megan Lambertz led off the single with a single. After Andrea Waters struck out, Nicole Demers doubled to right center to put runners at second and third. Norfolk State intentionally walked Sha Tabor to load bases. Shields followed with an infield single to score Lambertz with the winning run.   

The Hornets led 6-2 before Norfolk State scored four runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game. Jacklyn Peaton and Ashley Archer had run-scoring singles to pull Norfolk State to within 6-4. The Spartans tied the game on a two-run, two-out double by Meghan Ramsey.

Norfolk State scored single runs in the first and third innings to take a 2-0 lead.

Delaware State took the lead with three runs in the fourth. Shields doubled in the first run and the Hornets tied the game on a run-scoring single by Aisha Holloman. The Hornets went ahead 3-2 when Shields scored on a two-out wild pitch.

DSU stretched its lead to 6-2 with three runs in the fifth. Demers knocked in the first run on a fielder's choice, while Tabor and Shields singled in the fifth and sixth runs.

Shields, a native of nearby Seminole, Fla., was 3-for-4 with three runs batted in in the game. She is 6-for-8 with four RBI in the tournament. Waters also had three hits (3-for-4), while Lambertz and Demers collected two hits each.