Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box
DURHAM, N.C. – Brandon Hairston (North Garden, Va.) and Chris Joyce (Chesapeake, Va.) both homered twice and drove in five runs over the course of Norfolk State's 14-2, 18-6 doubleheader sweep of North Carolina Central on Wednesday afternoon at the Durham Athletic Park.
The Spartans (6-5-1) pounded out 38 hits in the two seven-inning games, 18 of which went for extra bases. Hairston did the most damage, going 7-for-10 with four doubles, two homers and the five RBI.
In game one, NSU hit a season-high four homers. Blaze Zeilman (St. Augustine, Fla.) hit a two-run bomb in the top of the first and John Rasberry (Suffolk, Va.) did likewise in the top of the second for a 4-0 NSU lead. NCCU was still within striking distance at 6-2 heading into the sixth, but the Spartans exploded for seven runs to take a 13-2 edge. Joyce hit a two-run homer, his first of the season, and freshman Shane Hoggard (Hampton, Va.) hit a pinch-hit grand slam for his first collegiate round-tripper in the sixth.
Horace Smith (Emporia, Va.) got the win his first of the season. He allowed two runs in five innings of work.
In game two, Hairston homered in each of his first two at-bats. He hit a missile to right-center for a solo shot in the first, then hit a two-run blast in the third to put NSU ahead 3-1. It was Hairston's second two-homer game of the season. He now has a team-leading four home runs.
The Eagles (0-10) hung around and slowly rallied, eventually taking a 6-5 lead on a two-out, two-run single by Jake Winstead in the bottom of the sixth. The hit came after an NSU error prolonged the inning.
But Joyce led off the top of the seventh with a solo homer that slid just inside of the right-field foul pole, tying the game at 6-all. That would be just the beginning, as NSU sent 17 men to bat in the inning and scored 13 times in the frame.
After Hoggard struck out, nine straight Spartans reached base and all of them scored. Sammy Serafine (Chesapeake, Va.) broke the tie with a bases-loaded double that ricocheted off NCCU second baseman Anthony Wilson and into the outfield. TiQuan Griffin (Florence, S.C.) followed with a two-run single, Hairston hit an RBI double and Joyce knocked in two more with a base hit to make it 13-6.
Ryan Montgomery (Prince George, Va.) then hit his second double of the game to bring in two more runs, an Eagle error allowed two more Spartans to cross the plate, and Griffin ended the rally with another run-scoring single.
The 13 runs scored in the inning ties a school record, done twice while the Spartans were in the CIAA (1985 and 1986).
Ryan Shook (Virginia Beach, Va.) got the win for NSU to improve to 1-0 on the year. He was charged with the two unearned runs in the sixth, but pitched a hitless seventh to end it.
John Lynch (Newport News, Va.) finished the doubleheader 7-for-9 with four runs scored for the Spartans. He doubled twice and tripled once in the nightcap. Hairston scored six runs, Joyce batted 5-for-9 and Drew Suttmiller (Chesapeake, Va.) was 4-for-7 in the two games. Lynch, Suttmiller, Joyce and Rasberry scored four runs apiece.
The Spartans are back in action this Saturday and Sunday when they host Fairleigh Dickinson at Marty L. Miller Field. The teams are slated to play a 1 p.m. doubleheader both days.
