NORFOLK, Va. – J.P. Frey and Aaron Nardone combined for 13 hits over Saturday's doubleheader with Norfolk State, helping the Hornets sweep NSU 6-1 and 8-4 at Marty L. Miller Field.

Frey went a combined 7-for-10 with three runs scored, while Nardone was 6-for-10 with four RBI in the two games for DSU (29-12, 18-2 MEAC), which locked up the conference's Northern Division title Saturday. Zach Markel went 4-for-6, going 2-for-3 in each game, for the Spartans (15-24, 10-10).

Game 1 was a pitcher's duel deep into the contest between two senior right handers, DSU's Jordan Elliott and NSU's Chris Horne. But DSU scored single runs in the second and third innings, and Elliott and two Hornet relievers made that stand up.

In the second inning, DSU's Nardone hit a fly ball to right field which was misjudged by NSU outfielder Cameron Day, resulting in a triple. Eddie Sorondo knocked in Nardone with a groundout.

In the third, Mike Alexander was hit by a pitch and later scored on a two-out single by Nardone.

The Spartans were held scoreless until the seventh. Tyon Ore led off the inning with a single, was sacrificed to second and scored on pinch hitter Robert Depp's RBI single, cutting DSU's lead to 2-1.

NSU looked like it may tie things in the bottom of the eighth off Hornet reliever Zach Candeloro. With one out, Killian Strenn lined a double down the left-field line, and Markel followed with a single to put runners on the corners. But Candeloro got Day to ground into an inning-ending double play to keep the Spartans off the board.

DSU added insurance with a four-run ninth. Cameron Onderko led off with a single, and Cameron Cecil and Frey loaded the bases with consecutive bunt singles. Alexander made it four straight singles with an RBI base hit to score Onderko. Ryan Haas followed with a sacrifice fly, and Frey then stole home on NSU reliever Richie Salter's pickoff attempt at first. Hassan Evans capped the rally with an RBI single.

Derek Marshallsea pitched a scoreless ninth for DSU.

Elliott (7-1) allowed just five hits and one run in seven innings, walking three and striking out five. Horne (4-3) allowed 11 hits but just two runs in 6.1 innings. He walked two and fanned four.

The Hornets outhit NSU 17-7 in the opener. Markel and Strenn had two hits apiece for NSU.

DSU continued its late momentum from the opener by scoring three times in the first two innings of the nightcap. Nardone hit a two-out RBI single in the first. In the second, Nick Arrue led off by walking, and scored when NSU threw away Onderko's sacrifice bunt attempt. Onderko later scored on Alexander's sacrifice fly to give DSU a 3-0 edge.

Nardone pushed the lead to 5-0 with a two-out, two-run single in the top of the fourth.

NSU made it a game by plating three runs in the bottom of the fourth. The first four Spartans of the inning reached base. DSU starter Matt McClain walked both Strenn and Markel, and Day's long fly was lost in the sun for an RBI single, allowing Strenn to score. Depp was then hit by a pitch to load the bases, and the Spartans picked up two more runs on Kyle Vaas' sacrifice fly and Robert Reaume's two-out RBI single.

The teams traded runs in the fifth. Onderko hit an RBI single in the top of the frame, but NSU's Justin Lee singled and later scored on a wild pitch to bring the Spartans back within two, 6-4.

But DSU tacked on two more runs in the sixth to regain some breathing room. Nardone and Sorondo both scored on Nick Arrue's infield single.

George Michael (5-1) earned the win in relief with a scoreless inning of work. Bhatti (2-6) took the loss, allowing six runs (four earned) in 4.1 innings of work.

In addition to Frey and Nardone, Onderko had two hits in each game, going 4-for-7 combined. Lee had two hits in the nightcap for the Spartans.

The teams complete their series Sunday at 1 p.m.