NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Norwich University softball team pounded out 22 hits and scored 23 runs en route to its best offensive series of the season as the Cadets swept Lyndon State in non-conference action at the NU Softball Field.

Norwich (11-15, 9-5 GNAC) outlasted Lyndon State in a 12-9 slugfest in the opener and then responded to take the nightcap 11-0 in five innings to secure the series sweep in the two teams' first meeting since the 2010 season.

Senior Payton Warner (Harwich, Mass.) led the Cadets' offense in Game with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate with three RBIs. Naomi Rinaldo (Middlefield, Conn.), Sarah Perry (New Bedford, Mass.) and Emily Oliver (Sagamore Hills, Ohio) all chipped in with two RBIs each as well to round out the NU offensive leaders.

Perry also picked up the victory on the mound, going 5.2 innings and surrendering four earned runs on nine hits while striking out two. Taylor Morris (Haverhill, N.H.) came on to record the final four outs of the game to pick up her first save of the season.

Norwich scored six runs in the bottom of the third inning to break a 3-3 tie and take a 9-3 lead. Lyndon State rallied in the fifth and sixth to cut the deficit down to 9-8, but the Cadets tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the sixth to pull away again.

Cori Sousa led Lyndon State with three RBIs and Hannah Choiniere went 3-for-4 with two RBIs to lead the Hornets' offense.

In Game 2, Morris fired a complete-game one-hitter, striking out seven to pick up her first victory of the season. She also scored a run and had a RBI ground-rule double at the plate.

Senior Angie Hershberger (Felton, Calif.) provided the big blast in the bottom of the second inning with a three-run home run for her fourth of the season. The Cadets had already scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning to jump out to the 9-0 lead after two innings.

NU added two more runs in the bottom of the third to cap the scoring at 11-0. Madison Miller (Long Lake, N.Y.), Kayleigh O'Rourke (Lyndhurst, N.J.) and Oliver all notched RBI hits for the Cadets in Game 2.

Norwich resumes conference play on Saturday and Sunday when it travels down to Mount Ida and St. Joseph (Conn.) for two GNAC doubleheaders.