Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Norfolk State University Athletics

The Official Site of the Norfolk State Spartans
Nav wordmark
Jason Barker
Mark Sutton

Baseball Matt Michalec, SID

Barker, Early Homers Help NSU Sweep Savannah State

Lynch, Boyd Homer in the Spartans' 5th Straight Win

Jason Barker fanned six over six shutout innings for the win

Box Score

NORFOLK, Va. – Jason Barker (Chesapeake, Va.) pitched six shutout innings for the victory, and NSU scored all its runs in the first three innings before holding off a late Savannah State rally for a 4-3 win and a sweep of the three-game series on Sunday afternoon at Marty L. Miller Field.

The Spartans (18-18), winners of five in a row, got solo home runs from freshman John Lynch (Newport News, Va.) and senior John Boyd III (Hempstead, N.Y.) as well as a clutch relief effort from Joey Seal (Newport News, Va.) to keep the Tigers (19-21) at bay.

The Spartans jumped on top of Savannah State starter Alford Arnold with four runs in the first three innings. In the first, NSU loaded the bases thanks to two walks and an error. Brandon Hairston (North Garden, Va.) drove in NSU's first run with a sacrifice fly to deep center. With two outs, Chris Joyce (Chesapeake, Va.) stroked an RBI single for a 2-0 Spartans' lead.

NSU then went to the long ball to add to its lead. Lynch hit his first career home run, a solo shot to left field, with two outs in the second inning. Boyd then blasted his team-leading fifth homer of the season, a solo homer to left, with one out in the third inning for a 4-0 NSU advantage.

SSU scored its first run on a two-out RBI single by Kyle Wilkerson in the top of the seventh. The Tigers got within 4-3 on back-to-back two-out RBI singles by David Rowland and Andrew Mendez in the eighth.

But with the tying and go-ahead runs on third and first bases, Seal relieved Frankie Caldeyro (Portsmouth, Va.) and retired Wilkerson on a popout to end the threat in the eighth. Seal then worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning through the heart of the Tigers' order, including a pair of strikeouts, to clinch the win. It was Seal's second save of the season.

Joyce led NSU with a 3-for-3 effort at the plate, including his ninth double of the year. Anselmo Cantu (Virginia Beach, Va.) was 2-for-5.

Wilkerson was 3-for-5 for the Tigers. Arnold (2-5) pitched a complete game, allowing nine hits and four runs, two earned, in eight innings.

NSU returns to action Wednesday at Virginia Commonwealth.

Print Friendly Version