DOVER, Del. – Norfolk State got home runs from four different players, two in each game, and ran its win streak to eight straight by sweeping a doubleheader from Delaware State, 7-4 and 10-6, on Friday afternoon at Soldier Field.
Danny Hosley hit a solo homer and was the winning pitcher in game one.
Ty Hanchey also homered in the opener, while
Korey Singh blasted a grand slam and
Alsander Womack hit a three-run shot in a 10-run fourth inning in game two for NSU (17-20, 13-5 MEAC).
Hosley finished the day 6-for-8 at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs in each game. He got the scoring started in game one with a solo homer in the top of the fourth for his first collegiate round-tripper. Hanchey added his two-run shot, his fourth homer of the season, in the fifth inning to give NSU a 3-0 lead.
The Hornets scored an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth before NSU put the game out of reach with four runs in the seventh and final frame. Womack and Hosley hit a pair of run-scoring singles and
Jacob Council doubled in two runs in the inning.
The Hornets (11-16, 9-8) tacked on three runs in the bottom of the seventh, but it wasn't enough to prevent Hosley from finishing up his sixth complete game of the season. Hosley (6-1) allowed seven hits and three earned runs (four total) while striking out five in going the distance. He entered the weekend tied for the national lead in complete games.
Womack was 3-for-4 and
Dionte Brown 2-for-4 in the opener for the Spartans.
DSU struck first in game two on a Jared Gillis RBI single in the bottom of the second inning. But NSU erupted for 10 runs in the top of the fourth, its biggest inning of the year. The frame included seven of NSU's 10 hits in the game. Hanchey singled and a walk and fielder's choice loaded the bases before Hosley tied the game with an RBI single. Singh followed with his team-leading fifth homer of the season, a grand slam to center, to give NSU a 5-1 lead and chase DSU starter Ethan Edelson.
The Spartans were far from done.
Khie Simms singled and
Trent Hanchey walked against Hornet reliever Krew Bouldin. One out later, Womack smacked a three-run homer for his third blast of the season.
Mason Velasquez was hit by a two-out pitch and Council tripled him in. The scoring spree was capped by another run-scoring single off the bat of Hosley, which made the score 10-1.
The Hornets made things interesting by scoring five times of their own in the bottom of the fourth, two on a single by John Weglarz. But NSU reliever
Seth Hockett got the final out of the inning to keep the lead at four runs, and the senior right hander then worked the final three innings without allowing a run to finish off the doubleheader sweep.
Hockett (1-1) pitched 3.1 scoreless innings, allowed just one hit and one walk, and struck out two to record his first win of the year.
Council was 2-for-4 with two runs scored in game two, and finished the day 3-for-8 overall. Womack was 4-for-8 between the two games with four RBIs and three runs scored. Hosley had four RBIs, two in each game, and Singh knocked in four in the nightcap.
The eight-game winning streak is the Spartans' longest since winning nine in a row in 2017.
The teams play another doubleheader at noon Saturday.
