Box Score

NORFOLK, Va. – First baseman Ross Cardwell singled in the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning, and catcher Chris Warren tied a school record with three doubles to lead Norfolk State to its eighth straight win, a 7-5 victory over Old Dominion on Wednesday night at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex.

The winning streak is the longest for the Spartans (9-12) in the Division I era, and longest for any NSU team since the 1995 team won 22 in a row.

Cardwell, who entered in the game as a defensive replacement in the bottom of the sixth with the game tied at 3-all, knocked in Cameron Day with an RBI single in the top of the seventh to break the deadlock. James Taylor doubled the NSU advantage with an RBI single in the eighth, and Warren added insurance with a long two-run double off the warning track in left to extend NSU's lead to 7-3 in the top of the ninth.

The Spartans needed the extra cushion. Josh Eldridge hit a one-out RBI double and Shawn Sizemore plated Eldridge with a single to trim the Monarchs' deficit in half, to 7-5.

But NSU reliever Richie Salter got out of the jam. Shortstop Justin Lee made a diving stop of a Chris Baker grounder to force out pinch runner Drew Coker at second base for the second out of the inning. Salter then struck out Josh Tutwiler, the would-be tying run, to end the game.

The game started out inauspiciously for NSU. The Monarchs parlayed two extra-base hits and two walks from Spartan starting pitcher Justin Bhatti into a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Josh Wright led off the inning with a triple, then scored on an Eldridge groundout. Bhatti then walked Baker and Tutwiler before a Joey Burney double scored Baker to make it 2-0 in ODU's favor.

The Spartans scored their first run in the top of the second as back-to-back doubles by Warren and Lee cut ODU's lead in half.

NSU tied it at 2-2 in the top of the fifth. Lee walked, then advanced to second on Taylor's first base hit of the game. Rafael Colon followed with the tying hit, an RBI single that scored Lee.

Both teams added a run in the sixth. The Spartans coaxed four consecutive walks from ODU relievers Kevin Griffey and Ben Verlander. The fourth of those free passes, issued by Verlander to Lee, gave NSU a short-lived 3-2 edge.

The Monarchs tied it with an RBI double by Burney in the bottom of the frame.

But NSU was not to be denied, plating four runs in the final three frames to pull away from ODU, giving the Spartans their fourth win in eight games since 2007 against their cross-town foes.

Chris Horne earned the win out of the NSU bullpen to even his record at 2-2 on the year. After Bhatti settled down and allowed just three hits and two runs in four innings, Horne followed with three effective frames out of the pen. Horne yielded two hits and one run with three strikeouts for his second straight win. He also got the win out of the bullpen in NSU's triumph over William & Mary one week ago. Salter earned his second save of the season, allowing two runs and striking out three in two innings. He also saved Horne's win over W&M.

Warren finished the day 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI. He is the eighth player in school history to collect three doubles in one game, and first since Lyall Foran did it in 2007. Taylor and Ryan Montgomery added two hits each, while Lee was 1-for-2 with two RBI.

Verlander (0-1) took the loss for the Monarchs (10-15), allowing one run in two-thirds of an inning pitched. Wright, Baker and Burney had two hits each for ODU.

The Spartans put their win streak on the line this weekend when they host the University of Maine for a four-game set at Marty L. Miller Field. The series gets underway with a 4 p.m. game on Friday.