NORFOLK, Va. – Troy Black and Tyler Patzalek combined for five hits and six runs batted in to lead Maine to a 9-1 win over Norfolk State on Sunday as the Black Bears completed a four-game weekend sweep at Marty L. Miller Field.
D.J. Voisine (2-0) pitched seven strong innings to get the win for the Black Bears (11-14), allowing four hits and one run.
Junior designated hitter Shane Hoggard had a season-high three hits in four at-bats for the Spartans (9-16), including the team's only run batted in.
Starting pitchers Voisine and Justin Bhatti of NSU both tossed three scoreless innings to start the game before Maine broke on top in the top of the fourth. The Black Bears notched four consecutive one-out singles to take a 2-0 lead. Patzalek, Alex Calbick and Justin Leisenheimer had the first three hits, loading the bases for Black. The Black Bears' second baseman grounded a single through the right side to score Patzalek and Calbick for the game's first runs.
Maine tacked on three more in the fifth thanks to an RBI double from Ian Leisenheimer and a two-run single by Patzalek, giving the Black Bears a 5-0 edge.
Scott Heath's sacrifice fly extended Maine's advantage to 6-0 in the sixth before NSU broke through in the bottom of the seventh. Cameron Day led off with a walk, advanced to second on a groundout and scored on Hoggard's RBI single.
But that was all NSU could muster against Voisine and reliever Luke Morrill. NSU managed just six hits against the two right handers, with Hoggard accounting for half of those. Day, Rafael Colon and Chase Kyriacou had the others, with Day recording his third triple of the year and second in the series in the fourth inning. That was the first hit of the game off Voisine, who retired 11 straight Spartans to start the game.
Morrill allowed two hits in two scoreless innings to finish the game for Maine.
Bhatti (2-3) took the loss for NSU, allowing eight hits and five runs (four earned) in five innings.
Patzalek was 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Black was 2-for-5 with four RBI, while Ian Leisenheimer, Justin Leisenheimer and Michael Fransoso also had two hits each.
NSU returns to action in a three-game MEAC series at Delaware State next Saturday and Sunday in Dover, Del.
