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NORFOLK, Va. – Chris Joyce (Chesapeake, Va.) broke open a 2-all tie with a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth, and Quinn Bright (Virginia Beach, Va.) pitched Norfolk State's third consecutive complete game as the No. 5 seed Spartans topped No. 3 Florida A&M 5-2 on Saturday morning at the MEAC Baseball Tournament at Marty L. Miller Field.
The Spartans (24-23) advance to the final of the loser's bracket at 6 p.m. on Saturday night against North Carolina A&T, which lost 3-2 later on Saturday afternoon to Bethune-Cookman. The NSU-N.C. A&T winner advances to Sunday's championship round.
After Jason Barker (Chesapeake, Va.) and Leon Schabacker (Virginia Beach, Va.) tossed complete games in NSU's two victories on Friday, Bright (6-6) followed suit with his sixth complete game of the year. He scattered eight hits and two runs, one earned, to go with two walks and five strikeouts. It was his first complete game to last nine innings.
The Spartans scored a run in the bottom of the first. John Lynch (Newport News, Va.) and Moriba George (St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.) led off the game with back-to-back infield singles, and both moved up a base on a FAMU error. Lynch then scored on a wild pitch by FAMU starter Anthony Espin (3-6).
The Rattlers tied the game at 1-all in the second. Darryl Evans reached on a bunt single and stole second base. Jourdan Mott knocked him in with a bloop single to right field.
The Spartans regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Jerrod Farley (Chester, Va.) walked with one out. Farley then stole second and went to third on a flyout. Farley then sprinted home from third on Espin's second wild pitch of the game.
FAMU wasted no time in answering back. Tim Jones reached on a two-out NSU error in the top of the sixth, and scored on Evans' double off the wall in right.
Things took a strange turn after that. NSU catcher Brad Stephenson (Chesapeake, Va.) was ejected after the top of the sixth, forcing the Spartans to move designated hitter John Boyd III (Hempstead, N.Y.) behind the plate and Bright into Stephenson's No. 3 spot in the batting order, thus eliminating the DH spot. That seemed to energize the Spartans, who quickly scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth. George led off the frame with a single, and Bright drew a walk from Espin. After Espin hit Boyd to load the bases, Joyce lined a two-run single to right, scoring George from third and a hustling Bright from second.
Anselmo Cantu (Virginia Beach, Va.) capped the rally with a sacrifice fly off FAMU reliever Julian Bailey, giving the Spartans a 5-2 cushion.
Bright pitched out of a two-out, bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh, and was not threatened in the eighth and ninth. Bright threw 122 pitches, 87 for strikes.
George finished 3-for-4 for NSU. Evans and Jeffries both went 2-for-4 for the Rattlers.
