Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box
NORFOLK, Va. – Richie Salter and Jordan Egan combined to limit Penn State's offense to five hits in a game one Norfolk State win, but PSU's Dave Walkling threw six shutout innings to help the Nittany Lions earn a sweep of the teams' doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Marty L. Miller Field. The Spartans took game one 4-2, but lost the nightcap 5-0.
PSU struck first in the opener thanks to an RBI double by Mario Eramo and a run-scoring single by Michael Glantz in the top of the second. The Spartans cut their deficit in half on John Lynch's RBI single in the bottom of the third.
NSU took the lead with a three-run fourth inning. Brandon Hairston reached base on a PSU error to start the inning. Ryan Montgomery and Tyon Ore then followed with a well-placed bunt singles down the third-base line to load the bases. Sammy Serafine then walked to force in Hairston with the tying run, and TiQuan Griffin followed with an RBI single. NSU scored its final run in the inning when Cameron Parsons, who reached on a fielder's choice, scored from third on a wild pitch.
Salter and Egan made the lead stand up, combining to hold the Nittany Lions to just one hit in the final five innings. Salter (1-0) got the win in just his second appearance and first start of the season. He allowed five hits and two runs in four innings, striking out four. Egan pitched three hitless innings of relief and also fanned four for his first save of the season.
John Walter (1-3) took the loss for the Nittany Lions, allowing four runs, two earned, in 3.1 innings. PSU was led at the plate by Eramo, who was 2-for-3.
In game two, PSU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third on a solo homer by Jordan Steranka. Steranka added a two-run double in the fifth to make it 3-0 in PSU's favor.
Walkling (4-0) did the rest, allowing only a one-out single to Lynch in the bottom of the fifth. Walkling struck out 11 in six innings before giving way to Geoff Boylston in the seventh.
Justin Bhatti (0-3) took the loss despite one of his best starts of the year to date. He gave up two earned runs in 4.1 innings and struck out three.
Elliot Searer was 3-for-3 with two runs scored in the nightcap, while Luis Montesinos, Steranka and Joey DeBernardis had two hits each for PSU.
Lynch led NSU with two hits on the day and Parsons scored a pair of runs.
The Spartans are off until they host Penn for a four-game set next Saturday and Sunday.
