Box Score
BALTIMORE, Md. – One day after managing just seven hits and one run in a loss to Maryland Eastern Shore, the Norfolk State offense set or tied five school records in a 28-16 win over Coppin State on Monday afternoon at Joe Cannon Stadium.
Senior outfielder John Lynch became the school's all-time career hits leader, while senior first baseman Brandon Hairston set a new school single-game record with six hits as the Spartans (13-18, 6-2 MEAC) pulled away from the Eagles (3-24, 1-7) for their third win in their last four games.
The Spartans – who at one point trailed 12-7 – also tied school records with 25 hits and eight doubles. The 44 combined runs tops the previous record of 41 as the highest-scoring game in Spartan annals.
Lynch's two-run single in the top of the first, which capped a three-run rally, was the 226th of his career, tying Andrew Dixon (1983-86) for No. 1 on the school's all-time hits list. NSU added two more runs in the second on an RBI single by James Taylor and a run-scoring double by Hairston to make it 5-0.
But the Eagles scored twice in the second, six times in the third and four times in the fourth to take a 12-7 lead. Alex Black hit a three-run homer to cap the fourth-inning uprising for CSU.
The Spartans tied it on a two-run double by Chris Joyce in the fifth, but CSU answered with two more on Derek Richards' two-run single in the bottom of the fifth to reclaim the lead at 14-12.
But the Spartans scored eight times in the sixth to take the lead for good at 20-14. Sammy Serafine tied it with a two-run double and Hairston's two-run single gave NSU the lead. Lynch followed with an RBI single, the record-breaking 227th hit of his career. Ryan Montgomery tripled in two runs later in the frame.
NSU added insurance with three runs in the seventh, all coming via the long ball. Freshman Tyon Ore hit a two-run homer, the first of his collegiate career, and John Rasberry added a solo shot.
The Spartans added five more in the eighth for good measure. Joyce doubled in three runs to highlight the frame. The game – which was postponed to Monday following a rain-shortened series from April 2-3 – was stopped after the eighth inning due to the 10-run rule.
Hairston was 6-for-6 with four runs scored and four RBI. He doubled once, singled five times, walked once, and stole two bases. Ore and Serafine each had three hits and three RBI, though neither started the game. Joyce was 2-for-7 with a career-high six RBI and a pair of doubles, Chris Warren added three hits, and Lynch knocked in three runs and stole two bases. Taylor, Warren, Hairston and Ore scored four runs apiece.
Richards was 5-for-5 and Black was 3-for-5 with five RBI for CSU.
Monday marked the fifth 25-hit game in school history, but the first in the Division I era. The Spartans' last 25-hit game occurred in 1993 against Savannah State. NSU's eight doubles also matches a 1990 game with Virginia Wesleyan for most in school history. The Spartans' last time scoring 28 runs came two years ago, also in a victory over CSU.
Before Monday, no NSU baseball game had ever seen more than 41 runs cross the plate. NSU topped Howard 22-19 in 1998, its first season in Division I, and the Spartans lost a 23-18 decision to The Citadel in 1986.
Jeff Di Fulgo earned the win for NSU to improve to 1-1 on the year. He allowed four hits and four runs, two earned, in three innings of work. Di Fulgo and NSU's fourth pitcher, Richie Salter, combined to hold the Eagles to just two runs over the final three innings as NSU wrapped up its fourth game in three days.
Andrew Kiessling (1-3) allowed 14 hits and 13 runs in 3.1 innings of relief in taking the loss for the Eagles.
NSU is slated to play its fifth game in four days on Tuesday when it hosts Virginia State at 4 p.m. at Marty L. Miller Field.
