Box Score

NORFOLK, Va. – Mike Matta went 3-for-5 with two RBI and earned the save on the mound help Mount St. Mary's down Norfolk State 7-5 on Sunday at Marty L. Miller Field to take the rubber game of their series.

Matta's second RBI single of the day broke a 5-all tie in the top of the fifth and proved to be the difference.

The Spartans (4-5-1) fell behind into an early hole as MSM scored five times in the top of the second. MSM (3-5) was aided by an NSU error and three walks from Spartan starter Chase Davenport (Wooster, Ohio) in the frame. Matta had an RBI single and Kyle Kane a two-run base hit to make it 3-0. Davenport then issued back-to-back bases-loaded walks to make it 5-0.

The Spartans chipped away with three runs in the bottom of the second. Shane Hoggard (Hampton, Va.) led of with a single, John Lynch (Newport News, Va.) was hit by a pitch and Sammy Serafine (Chesapeake, Va.) followed with another base hit to load the bases. Drew Suttmiller (Chesapeake, Va.) followed with a fielder's choice grounder to short. MSM's Jacob Darr threw it into right field, allowing Hoggard and Lynch to score.

Chris Warren (Virginia Beach, Va.) bounced into a double play on the next pitch, but Serafine scored from third to make it 5-3.

The same part of the order helped NSU tie the game in the fourth. Hoggard walked to lead off the inning, and Lynch followed with a single through the left side. After Serafine's sacrifice bunt, Suttmiller hit a sac fly to center to bring in Hoggard. MSM first baseman Josh Winter cut off the throw from the outfield and threw wildly attempting to cut down Lynch at third, and Lynch scored to tie the game at 5-all.

But the tie would be short-lived as the Mountaineers scored in the top of the fifth. Joe Kavanagh led off with a double to right-center off NSU reliever Greg Abetz (Norfolk, Va.), and scored on Matta's hit to make it 6-5.

The Mountaineers tacked on one more in the eighth. Kane singled to lead off the inning and went to third on Shane Eyler's single. Kane scored on an overthrow from the NSU outfield.

Matta, the starting MSM center fielder, moved to the mound in the bottom of the seventh in relief of Colin Stuver. Matta pitched the final 2.1 innings, allowed three hits and no runs to earn his second save in as many days. Stuver pitched 2.2 scoreless innings for his first win of the season.

Abetz (0-1) took the loss for NSU.

Kane, Eyler and Kavangh added two hits apiece for MSM, which outhit the Spartans 11-8.

Rasberry was 2-for-3 and Suttmiller was 1-for-3 with two RBI for the Spartans. Hoggard and Lynch scored two runs apiece.

The Spartans travel to North Carolina Central for a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Wednesday in Durham, N.C.