Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box
NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State baseball team split a MEAC doubleheader with visiting Coppin State on Friday afternoon at Marty L. Miller Field. The Eagles took game one by a score of 7-4, but the Spartans rallied to take the nightcap, 7-2.
Chris Joyce (Chesapeake, Va.) led the Spartans (8-10-1, 1-4 MEAC) by going 4-for-9 with a pair of doubles and two RBI in the two games.
The Eagles (9-12, 3-1) started the opener strong by scoring three runs in the top of the first. After a pair of walks by Spartan starter Chase Davenport (Wooster, Ohio) started the game, Harry Williams hit an RBI single and Derek Richards a run-scoring double. Mark Reynoso capped the rally with a sacrifice fly.
CSU made it 4-0 in the third as Richards hit another RBI double.
The NSU bats woke up in the middle innings, scoring once in the fifth, once in the sixth and twice in the seventh. James Taylor (Virginia Beach, Va.) hit an RBI single in the fifth, one of his career-high three hits in the first game. Cameron Parsons (Chesapeake, Va.) did likewise in the sixth, and Joyce tied the game with a long two-run double in the seventh.
But CSU scored the go-ahead runs in the eighth. Craig Richmond led off with a walk by Davenport and later scored on a wild pitch by NSU reliever Ryan Shook (Virginia Beach, Va.). Dwight Robinson's run-scoring single later in the frame made it 6-4.
The Eagles tacked on another insurance tally in the ninth on Dan Gleiberman's sacrifice fly.
The Spartans got their first two runners in the bottom of the ninth, but Richards got the final three outs for the save.
Tim Pomierski (4-2) pitched eight-plus solid innings for the Eagles to get the win. He allowed 11 hits and four runs, two earned. Davenport (2-2) was charged with the loss after allowing five earned runs in seven-plus innings.
The second game would be a different story as the Spartans scored all their runs in the first three innings.
John Lynch (Newport News, Va.) highlighted a two-run first inning with a run-scoring single. NSU made it 3-1 in the second as a result of two Coppin State errors.
The Spartans increased their advantage to 7-1 with a four-run third inning. Sammy Serafine (Chesapeake, Va.) and Chris Warren (Virginia Beach, Va.) hit RBI singles, Drew Suttmiller (Chesapeake, Va.) laced an RBI double and Ryan Montgomery (Prince George, Va.) knocked in another run with a groundout.
That was more than enough for NSU senior right hander Jason Barker (Chesapeake, Va.). He pitched his first complete game of the season and the first for the Spartans in 2010. Barker scattered 10 hits and two runs in seven innings to improve to 2-2 on the year. Barker fanned three and walked no one.
Jim Vagnier (2-2) was saddled with the loss. He went all six innings for CSU, allowing six hits and seven runs, five earned.
Richards and Robinson had four hits apiece on the day to pace the Eagles' offense.
The teams complete their series on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for noon.
