Box Score

NORFOLK, Va. – Left hander Ali Simpson and three Bethune-Cookman relievers combined to shutout Norfolk State on just four hits as the Wildcats completed a three-game MEAC series sweep with a 2-0 win over the Spartans on Sunday afternoon at Marty L. Miller Field.

NSU drops to 8-16 overall, 4-7 in the MEAC with the loss. B-CU improves to 18-17, 8-1.

Simpson (4-2) allowed just three hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out six. Concepcion Guzman pitched a scoreless eighth, while Joseph Munoz got the first out of the ninth and Roman Lancara the final two for his first save of the year.

Jason Barker (Chesapeake, Va.) was the hard-luck losing pitcher for NSU. Barker (2-3) threw seven solid innings, allowing just two runs and seven hits. He walked three and struck out one.

B-CU got the only run it would need in the top of the fourth inning. Ryan Durrence walked with one out and advanced to second on a groundout. Drew Clark followed with another walk, and Aaron Patterson knocked in Durrence with a two-out single to right.

The Wildcats added an insurance run in the seventh. Mark Brooks reached on a bloop double to center field. He moved to third on an NSU error and scored on a wild pitch by Barker.

That was more than enough for B-CU. The Spartans managed just one hit and two base runners in the final six innings off Wildcat pitching.

Patterson and Brooks had two hits each for the Wildcats, who out-hit NSU 7-4.

John Lynch (Newport News, Va.) was 1-for-4 with a double and reached base twice for NSU. Brandon Hairston (North Garden, Va.), Anselmo Cantu (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Drew Suttmiller (Chesapeake, Va.) had the other Spartan hits.

NSU returns to action Monday at 3 p.m. in a makeup conference game at Coppin State in Baltimore, Md.