Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Host Bethune-Cookman flexed its offensive muscle on Saturday in a 10-7, 9-2 MEAC baseball sweep of Norfolk State at Jackie Robinson Park.
The Wildcats (22-14, 8-0 MEAC) hit six home runs in the doubleheader, five in the opener, to overcome the Spartans (11-15-1, 4-7 MEAC).
NSU started quickly in game one. Brandon Hairston (North Garden, Va.) hit an RBI single in the second and John Lynch (Newport News, Va.) a sacrifice fly in the third for a 2-0 NSU lead.
The Wildcats cur their deficit in half with a solo home run by D.J. Leonard in the third, but NSU answered in a big way in the top of the fourth. B-CU starter Ali Simpson walked the bases loaded, and Joey Munoz was summoned from the bullpen. John Rasberry (Suffolk, Va.) greeted Munoz by clearing the bases with a grand slam for his third homer of the year, giving the Spartans a 6-1 edge.
But B-CU responded with three homers in the bottom of the fourth of NSU starter Jason Barker (Chesapeake, Va.). Ryan Durrence and Jairo Acevedo hit solo shots and Emmanuel Castro added a two-run homer to bring the Wildcats within 6-5.
Durrence tied the game with a run-scoring single in the fifth off Spartan reliever Ryan Shook (Virginia Beach, Va.). Later in the frame, Castro broke the tie with a three-run, two-out homer to give the Wildcats the lead for good. All four runs were unearned, as an NSU error prolonged the inning.
Shook (1-1) took the loss for NSU, allowing five runs – just one earned – in three innings. He struck out four. Munoz (2-2) allowed two earned runs in 4.1 innings of relief work for the win.
Hairston went 3-for-5 and Lynch was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI for the Spartans in the opener.
In game two, B-CU starter Gabriel Hernandez (2-3) allowed just two hits in five scoreless innings to earn the victory. He struck out four.
The Wildcats scored a pair of runs in both the second and third innings off NSU starter Chase Davenport (Wooster, Ohio). Peter O'Brien hit his MEAC-leading 15th homer of the season in the second. After a Castro double, Matt Wright hit a sac fly for a 2-0 B-CU advantage.
O'Brien added an RBI single and Jeremy Davis hit an RBI groundout in the third as the Wildcats stretched their lead to 4-0. B-CU put it out of reach with a five-run sixth inning.
NSU got its two runs in its final two at-bats. Hairston walked with the bases loaded in the sixth, and Juan Herrera (Santiago, Dominican Republic) hit a solo homer in the seventh. The round-tripper was Herrera's first of the season.
Davenport (3-3) yielded six runs in five-plus innings to take the loss.
Castro led B-CU with five RBI and Durrence had four in the two games.
The teams conclude their series at 1 p.m. Sunday.
