Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

DOVER, Del. – Host Delaware State collected 12 hits to take game one by a score of 10-2, then the Aaron Nardonne's RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning lifted the Hornets to a 5-4 win over Norfolk State in the nightcap to complete a sweep at Soldier Field on Saturday.

With the wins, the Hornets (17-13-1, 7-1 MEAC) widened their lead over second-place NSU (9-18, 5-5) in the MEAC's Northern Division. DSU now owns a 5-0 series record over the Spartans with just Sunday's single game remaining in the teams' season series.

In Saturday's first game, DSU scored three times in the first off NSU starter Ryan VanAssche (2-4) and never looked back. Troy Drummond tripled to lead off the game and scored on a wild pitch. Eddie Sorondo later added an RBI single and J.P. Frey hit a sacrifice fly to cap the scoring.

The Spartans got a run back in the top of the second as Tyon Ore led off with a double and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Chris Warren to cut NSU's deficit to 3-1. But Drummond got the run right back for the Hornets with a solo homer in the second.

Up 6-1, DSU put the game out of reach with a four-run sixth. Sorondo hit a two-run single and Joey Babuca stroked a two-run triple to stretch the lead to 10-1 for the Hornets.

NSU got its only other run in the top of the ninth inning on Chase Kyriacou's RBI single.

Jordan Elliott got the win for the Hornets to improve to 5-2. He allowed seven hits but just one run in 5.1 innings of work. Elliott Gardner earned the save by pitching the final 3.2 innings.

VanAssche allowed six hits and six runs in five innings to suffer his second straight defeat.

Warren went 3-for-3 and Ross Cardwell 2-for-3 in the opener for the Spartans. Sorondo had three hits and three RBI, Drummond and Ryan Haas contributed two hits each, and Babuca knocked in three for DSU.

NSU got off to a solid start in the nightcap, recording four hits and a pair of runs in the top of the first off DSU starter Matt McClain. Kyriacou and Cardwell led off the game with consecutive singles, and came around to score on RBI singles by Shane Hoggard and Rafael Colon, respectively.

But the Hornets responded with three runs in the bottom of the first against NSU starter Justin Bhatti. Cameron Cecil got the scoring started with an RBI single. Haas and Nardonne would each add a sacrifice fly later in the frame to give the Hornets a 3-2 lead.

Bhatti and McClain matched scoreless frames in the second, third and fourth innings, but the Spartans mounted a rally in the fifth to reclaim the lead. Kyriacou led off with a single, moved up on a passed ball and a fielder's choice, and scored on a grounder by Ryan Montgomery to tie the game at 3-all. One out later, Colon drilled a two-out double to give the Spartans a 4-3 edge.

But the lead was short-lived as Babuca singled in Nardonne with the tying run in the bottom of the sixth. The Spartans were unable to scratch against DSU in the top of the seventh, setting the stage for the final sequence. Haas singled and Sorondo walked to lead off the bottom of the final frame against Spartan relief pitcher Chris Horne. Frey singled to load the bases, and Nardonne followed by delivering the winning hit to center field, scoring pinch runner D.J. Miller.
Horne (2-4) took the loss, allowing one run and three hits in two-thirds of an inning. McClain went the distance for DSU to improve to 4-3. He gave up eight hits and four runs with two strikeouts in seven innings.

Colon went 3-for-3 with two RBI and Kyriacou was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored for NSU in the nightcap. Frey was 3-for-4 and both Nardonne and Cecil had two hits in game 2 for the Hornets.

Warren, Colon, Cardwell and Kyriacou had three hits each during the doubleheader for NSU. Sorondo had four hits and Babuca drove in four runs for DSU.

The teams conclude their six-game season series at 1 p.m. on Sunday.