Box Score PETERSBURG, VA- The Chowan University softball team fell to Virginia State University twice on Saturday afternoon in CIAA Northern Division play.  The Hawks slide to 11-27 on the season and 9-3 in league play after the losses while the Lady Trojans improve to 16-6 overall and 15-1 in the CIAA.  Virginia State won the first game 4-2 before securing a 9-6 victory in the nightcap.  Chowan moves to second place in the Northern Division standings after the setbacks.
 
In the first contest, the Lady Trojans scored two runs in the bottom of the first using an RBI double and single to take an early lead.  A solo homerun in the second put Virginia State ahead 3-0.  Courtney Baker's sacrifice fly put the Hawks on the board in the top of the fifth but the Lady Trojans responded with an additional run in their half of the frame to secure a 4-1 lead. A Virginia State error in the sixth allowed Chowan to plate another run, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit. 
 
Tori Cragan paced the Hawks with two hits in the loss while Kayla Brady, Liz Hipple and Tina White each had base hits for the Blue and White.  Courtney Groce took the loss on the mound.  She surrendered seven hits in six innings of work while striking out three Lady Trojan batters. 
 
The Hawks took a quick 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning of the second game using White's RBI single and Jack Byrd's two-run single.  The Lady Trojans exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the fifth using five hits and two Hawk errors to take a commanding 9-3 lead. 
 
Chowan plated three runs in the top of the seventh using a fielder's choice and RBI singles by White and Brady before falling to Virginia State 9-6. 
 
Alora Lincoln threw 4.1 innings before taking the loss.  She surrendered four hits and four runs (four earned) while striking out nine batters.  Lindsay Hewitt tossed 1.2 innings in-relief and gave up five runs (one earned).  Brady, Byrd, Cragan and White each collected two hits for Chowan. 
 
Jessica Mattia earned both wins on the mound for Virginia State. 
 
The Hawks return to Murfreesboro on Sunday for a CIAA Northern Division match-up against Virginia Union.  Seniors Courtney Baker, Kayla Brady, Liz Hipple and Erica Wagnon will be honored in-between games. First-pitch is slated for 12:00pm.