Box Score
NORFOLK, Va. — Host Norfolk State broke open a tie game with a four-run fourth inning and never looked back in completing a three-game MEAC sweep of Coppin State with an 8-4 victory on Monday afternoon at Marty L. Miller Field.
The Spartans improve to 11-10 on the season, 3-3 in the MEAC with the win. CSU falls to 2-26, 0-6.
With the game tied 3-all, the Spartans exploded for four runs in the bottom of the fourth. John Lynch (Newport News, Va.) and Moriba George (St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.) led off with back-to-back singles off Darrell Downs (0-5). Both moved up on a double steal, and scored on a two-run double by John Boyd III (Hempstead, N.Y.). First baseman Brandon Hairston (North Garden, Va.) followed with a two-run home run to right, his first career homer, to make it 7-3.
The Eagles had a chance to make it interesting in the sixth, loading the bases with one out off NSU starter Joey Seal (Newport News, Va.). But Spartan reliever Jason Barker (Chesapeake, Va.) pitched out of the jam unscathed. The Eagles were only able to add a single run in the ninth.
NSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Brad Stephenson (Chesapeake, Va.) tripled home Lynch, who led off the frame with a single. Jerrod Farley (Chester, Va.) and Ryan Wiggins (Hayes, Va.) both forced in runs with two-out, bases-loaded walks issued by Downs.
CSU tied it with three runs of its own in the fourth. Harry Williams led off with a triple off and scored on an NSU error. Two more runs came home on Nate Kellar’s bases-loaded single.
Seal (4-2) earned his second win in as many starts. He allowed three runs in 5.1 innings and struck out four. Barker pitched the final 3.2 innings for his first save of the year. He gave up one earned run and fanned three.
Lynch, Stephenson, Hairston and Chris Joyce (Chesapeake, Va.) had two hits each for NSU. Boyd led the Spartans with three RBI, and he, Lynch and Hairston all scored twice each. Hairston and Stephenson both doubled for NSU.
Downs was saddled with the loss for the Eagles. He allowed 10 hits and seven runs, five earned, in five innings. Williams, Kellar, Oscar Santalo and Angel Recci had two hits each for CSU.
NSU returns to action on Wednesday in a 3 p.m. game at Liberty.