Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box
NORFOLK, Va. – Penn shortstop Derek Vigoa ended the longest game in Norfolk State history with an RBI single in the top of the 14th inning of the first game, and Penn right hander Vince Voiro tossed a five-hit shutout in game two as the Quakers took a doubleheader from the Spartans by scores of 3-2 and 7-0 on Saturday afternoon at Marty L. Miller Field.
With two outs in the top of the 14th, Vigoa fisted a single to right field to score Spencer Branigan, who reached on a one-out NSU (6-12) error as the Quakers took the 3-hour, 38-minute opener. The 14-inning game surpasses the previous long game in NSU history. The Spartans have twice played 13-inning contests, the last on April 1, 2003 against George Washington.
Pitchers for both sides were sharp throughout. Cody Thomson (1-2) took the win for Penn (5-7), pitching the final 5.2 innings without allowing a run. Ryan VanAssche (2-2) was the hard-luck loser, pitching the final eight innings in relief. He allowed just five hits and one unearned run, walking two and striking out three.
John Rasberry, who had a career-high four hits in game one, scored NSU's first run in the bottom of the first. He tripled to left field off Penn starter Chris McNulty, then scored on Brandon Hairston's sacrifice fly.
Shook held the Quakers without a hit for the first 3.1 innings and scoreless for the first four. But Penn scored twice in the fifth. Jeremy Maas reached base on an NSU error to start the inning, and scored on Rick Brebner's RBI single. Vigoa followed with his first RBI single of the game to make it 2-1.
The Spartans had their backs against the wall, but rallied to tie it in the bottom of the ninth. Sammy Serafine, Chris Warren and Ryan Montgomery hit three consecutive singles to load the bases with one out. TiQuan Griffin followed with a slow roller to shortstop, allowing Serafine to score from third on the groundout to tie the game.
But NSU failed to score again, stranding a runner in the 10th, two in the 12th, and one more in the 13th. The Spartans out-hit Penn 13-10, but left 12 runners on base.
Ryan Shook got a no-decision for NSU despite another solid start. He yielded five hits and two runs, just one earned, in six innings. He walked two and fanned six.
Voiro (1-2) was in command in the nightcap, striking out 10 over a seven-inning shutout. Brandon Engelhardt, Greg Zebrack and Maas had two RBI each for Penn, and Vigoa was 2-for-2 with two runs scored.
Jordan Egan (1-1) took his first loss of the year for the Spartans. He allowed just one earned run through six innings, but Penn put it away with a four-run seventh. Egan fanned five but allowed five earned runs in 6.1 innings of work.
Vigoa ended the doubleheader 5-for-8 for the Quakers, while Rasberry was 5-for-10 with a double and a triple in the two games for NSU.
The teams play another doubleheader Sunday beginning at noon.
