Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
NORFOLK, Va. — Brad Stephenson (Chesapeake, Va.) and Brandon Hairston (North Garden, Va.) combined for seven RBI and Moriba George (St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.) had four hits as Norfolk State swept a MEAC doubleheader from Coppin State, 5-4 and 10-0, on Saturday afternoon at Marty L. Miller Field.
With the wins, the Spartans improve to 10-10 on the year and 2-3 in the MEAC. The Eagles drop to 2-25, 0-5.
In game 1, pinch hitter Chase Bailey (Roanoke, Va.) plated the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth to score Ryan Wiggins (Hayes, Va.), who tripled with one out off Moses Muldrow (1-2).
Leon Schabacker (Virginia Beach, Va.) pitched around an error in the top of the ninth and retired the next three hitters. Schabacker improved to 4-2 on the year, matching his win total from last year. He pitched his fifth complete game in six starts this season, surrendering eight hits and four runs, three earned, over nine innings. He struck out eight and walked none.
NSU scored four times in the bottom of the first. Stephenson continued his hot hitting by doubling home John Lynch (Newport News, Va.), who was issued the first of three walks in the frame by CSU starter Nate Kellar. Hairston scored Stephenson with a sharp single up the middle. Jerrod Farley (Chester, Va.) and Wiggins also had RBI in the inning, Farley by drawing a bases-loaded walk and Wiggins with a sac fly that plated Hairston.
The Eagles battled back with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Carlos Russell hit a sac fly in the fourth, and Harry Williams delivered a two-out RBI single in the fifth to cut the Spartans' lead to 4-2.
CSU then tied it with two runs in the seventh. Jerry Matos knocked in the first with an RBI single, and an overthrow on the play allowed both runners to advance a base. Williams followed with a sac fly to tie the game.
Matos and Angel Recci had two hits apiece for CSU in the opener. Eight different Spartans had one hit each.
In game 2, Stephenson was 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI, and George was 3-for-3 for NSU.
NSU again broke on top in the first inning. Lynch walked to lead off the inning and went to third on a hit-and-run single by George. George then stole second base, and Lynch scored on a throwing error by CSU catcher Oscar Santalo.
The Spartans got some breathing room in the third inning, scoring three times with two outs. Lynch and George both single to lead off the frame, and two outs later, Hairston plated them both by blasting a long double to center field. Chris Joyce (Chesapeake, Va.) followed by knocking in Hairston with a single through the left side of the infield to give NSU a 4-0 lead.
George stroked a two-out, RBI single in the fourth and Stephenson followed with his second run-scoring double of the afternoon to give NSU a 6-0 lead after four.
NSU ended the game after five innings due to the 10-run mercy rule. Hairston scored a run on a wild pitch and Anselmo Cantu (Virginia Beach, Va.) walked off Eagles' starter Jeremiah Cothiere (1-5) to make it 8-0. Stephenson then ended the game with a two-run double to right-center.
Spartan right hander Quinn Bright (Virginia Beach, Va.) pitched a two-hit shutout over five innings to up his record to 2-3 on the year. He walked two and struck out six. Bright did not allow a hit until Carlos Russell and Jonathan Reynolds had back-to-back singles with one out in the top of the fifth.
Lynch was 2-for-2 and scored three times in the nightcap. He scored four times in the two games.
The teams conclude their three-game series on Sunday at noon.
