Box Score

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Matt Wright hit a two-run homer in the second and had the tie-breaking RBI double in the seventh as Bethune-Cookman outlasted Norfolk State 6-4 on Sunday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Park.

The Spartans (11-16-1, 4-8 MEAC) out-hit the Wildcats (23-14, 9-0) 9-7, but could not prevent B-CU from completing the three-game sweep.

B-CU led 4-0 after two innings. Peter O'Brien hit his MEAC-leading 16th homer – a two-run homer for his second blast of the series – to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead in the first. Wright added a two-run shot in the second to push the lead to 4-0.

But the Spartans fought back with a four-run third to tie the game. TiQuan Griffin (Florence, S.C.) led off with a single and scored on a Wildcat error. Third baseman Chris Joyce (Chesapeake, Va.) hit a two-run double, his third double of the series, and John Lynch (Newport News, Va.) had a run-scoring single to tie the game.

The Spartans kept it close thanks to a solid effort from freshman right hander Joel Himan (Woodbridge, Va.). Making his first start of the year, Himan got off to a slow start after surrendering the two home runs, but held B-CU scoreless on just one hit over the next four innings.

But the Wildcats started their rally when Brandon Turner led off the seventh by reaching on a Spartan error. Wright followed with his tie-breaking run-scoring double, and later scored when Alejandro Sanchez hit a sacrifice fly off NSU reliever Jordan Egan (Virginia Beach, Va.).

B-CU's Jordan Dailey (2-0) got the win by pitching a scoreless top of the seventh. Justin Dahl pitched a scoreless eighth and Juan Perez got the final three outs for his seventh save.

Himan fell to 0-2 despite giving up just six hits in six-plus innings. He allowed six runs – four earned – to go with three walks and three strikeouts.

Lynch, Griffin and John Rasberry (Suffolk, Va.) each went 2-for-4 for NSU. Wright and D.J. Leonard had two hits apiece for the Wildcats.

NSU returns home for a 4 p.m. game on Tuesday against Virginia State.