NORFOLK, Va. – Visiting Delaware State scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning to take the lead for good, and two Hornets' relievers made that lead stand up in a 6-5 win over Norfolk State on Sunday at Marty L. Miller Field.

With the win, the Hornets (12-6, 3-0 MEAC) swept the MEAC Northern Division series from NSU (5-13, 0-3). The Spartans dropped their fourth in a row overall despite out-hitting DSU 11-8 and getting a season-high four runs batted in from first baseman Zach Markel.

DSU scored twice in the top of the first without benefit of a hit off Spartan starter Cooper Jones. J.P. Frey struck out to lead off the game, but reached first due to a wild pitch on the third strike. Cameron Cecil was next up and reached when NSU threw away his sacrifice bunt attempt. Both runners advanced a base on Aaron Nardone's sacrifice bunt. Frey scored from third on a passed ball, and Cecil crossed the plate on Ryan Haas' sacrifice fly.

The Hornets extended their lead to 3-0 in the top of the third on Hassan Evans' successful squeeze bunt, which scored Eddie Sorondo from third.

But NSU bounced back with five runs in its next two frames, thanks largely to the bat of Markel. The junior hit a bases-clearing, three-run double to tie the game in the bottom of the third off DSU starter Zach Adkins. In the fourth, Justin Lee knocked in a run with a fielder's choice, then two batters later, Markel hit a two-out, RBI single to give NSU a 5-3 edge.

But the Hornets wasted no time in retaking the lead, plating three runs in the top of the fifth. Sorondo and Ryan Haas led off with back-to-back singles off Jones. With one out, the Spartans intentionally walked Evans to load the bases and set up a double play possibility. But Jones walked Cameron Onderko to force in one run, and D.J. Miller was hit by a pitch by NSU reliever Ray Morton to tie the game. Frey followed by scoring Evans with an RBI groundout to give the Hornets a 6-5 advantage.

That's the way the score remained as both bullpens shut down the opposing offenses from the bottom of the fifth inning on. NSU had a runner reach scoring position every inning from the fifth to the eighth, but couldn't get the tying run home against DSU relievers Zach Candeloro and Bobby Brown. Candeloro (2-0) pitched 4.2 innings of scoreless relief to get the win, while Brown pitched the final 1.1 innings for his first save of the season.

Brown came on with the potential tying run, NSU pinch runner Andre Moore, on third base with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. Brown got Chase Kyriacou to line out to first base to end the eighth, then worked around a one-out walk to Tyon Ore in the ninth to finish off the Spartans.

Markel finished 3-for-5 with four RBI for NSU. It was his fourth three-hit game of the season. Kyriacou and Robert Reaume were both 2-for-4 with a run scored, and Cameron Day went 2-for-5 with a double.

Frey and Miller had two hits apiece for the Hornets, who won despite stranding 15 runners.

Jones (0-2) took the loss for NSU, allowing six hits and six runs, four earned, in 4.1 innings. He walked five and fanned four. Relievers Morton, Ryan Shook and Justin Bhatti combined to allow two hits and no runs over the final 4.2 innings.

NSU is on the road for its next four games, starting with a 4 p.m. non-conference matchup at VMI on Tuesday in Lexington, Va.