Box Score
NORFOLK, Va. – Freshman left hander Ryan VanAssche tossed his first career complete game, and John Lynch and James Taylor had two RBI apiece as Norfolk State edged Savannah State 4-3 on Friday night at Marty L. Miller Field.
The Spartans improve to 16-23 overall, while the Tigers drop to 26-20.
VanAssche scattered six hits and allowed just one earned run (three total) over nine innings. It was the Spartan pitching staff's fourth complete game of the year, but the first in a nine-inning game. VanAssche walked three and struck out three and improved his record to 5-5 on the year. He allowed just one hit in the final four innings, and the Spartans rallied from an early deficit to take the first game of the series.
SSU scored a run in the first and second innings. Dexter Kelley singled and later scored on a double play to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the first. In the second, Peter Poole drew a leadoff walk and later scored on VanAssche's error, making the score 2-0.
NSU got a run back in the third. TiQuan Griffin led off with a triple off SSU starter Kevin Herlihy (5-4). Taylor followed with a sacrifice fly to cut NSU's deficit in half. But the Tigers got a run back in the fifth on Kelley's RBI single, making 3-1 in SSU's favor.
The Spartans, however, responded with a three-run bottom of the fifth. Chris Warren walked to lead off the frame, then both Griffin and Sammy Serafine reached on bunt singles to load the bases. Taylor knocked in Warren with a fielder's choice grounder, then stole second to put runners on second and third. Lynch followed with a two-run single to give the Spartans a 4-3 lead.
VanAssche settled in, retiring 11 straight batters from the fifth to the ninth innings. He got into trouble in the ninth as Emory Barkley led off with a single, and after a sacrifice bunt, Chris Arnold reached on a fielder's choice to put runners on first and second. But VanAssche coaxed Julius Green to ground into a 5-3 double play to finish off the Tigers.
Herlihy also pitched a complete game for SSU, allowing four earned runs and seven hits in eight innings.
Kelley was 2-for-4 for SSU, while both Lynch and Griffin had a pair of hits for the Spartans.
The teams play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. to finish off the three-game series.
