Box Score
NORFOLK, Va. – Junior outfielder John Rasberry (Suffolk, Va.) had a game-high three hits, including two in Norfolk State's seven-run first inning, to lead the Spartans over Old Dominion, 12-5 on Tuesday afternoon at Marty L. Miller Field.
The win was the third in a row for the Spartans (7-5-1) and their second straight over the Monarchs (11-13). The seven-run margin of victory is NSU's largest in series history.
After an NSU error and bases-loaded walk led to a short-lived 1-0 ODU edge in the top of the first, the Spartans answered with seven two-out runs in the bottom of the inning. Rasberry singled, stole second and scored on a two-out single by John Lynch (Newport News, Va.). ODU starter Brett Harris then issued his second and third walks of the inning, the latter to Drew Suttmiller (Chesapeake, Va.), to force in NSU's second run.
The Monarchs then went to the bullpen and summoned C.J. Huyett, who issued a free pass to Cameron Parsons (Chesapeake, Va.) with the bases loaded for another run. Sammy Serafine (Chesapeake, Va.) followed with an infield single off Huyett's leg, and Huyett then hit James Taylor (Virginia Beach, Va.) with the bases full to make it 5-1.
Rasberry capped the rally with a sharp grounder under the glove of ODU third baseman Austin Wright for the final two runs of the frame.
Suttmiller's RBI single in the second and a run-scoring grounder by Brandon Hairston (North Garden, Va.) in the third made it 9-1.
The Monarchs got three runs back in the top of the sixth. Chris Baker's pinch-hit RBI single started the uprising, and bases-loaded walks to Wright and Austin McGowan made it 9-4.
But NSU padded its lead with three more runs in the bottom of the seventh. Hairston hit a two-run single and Lynch followed with his second RBI hit of the day to make it 12-4.
Jake McAloose's run-scoring single in the eighth capped the scoring for ODU.
Rasberry led NSU with a 3-for-4 day. He scored three times and knocked in two runs. Hairston had a game-high three RBI, while Lynch and Suttmiller had two RBI apiece. Parsons and Lynch each went 2-for-4, joining Rasberry with multi-hit performances.
NSU left-hander Chase Davenport (Wooster, Ohio) earned the win with three solid innings in a pre-determined staff outing. Davenport (2-1) allowed one unearned run and fanned three. NSU used five pitchers who combined to fan 14 Monarchs, the most strikeouts by the Spartans' staff this season.
Harris took the loss for ODU after allowing five earned runs in two-thirds of an inning. The Monarchs were paced by Brandon Shelton and John Malbon with two hits apiece.
The Spartans hit the road for their first MEAC games of the year this Saturday and Sunday, a three-game series at North Carolina A&T.
