Box Score PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – Ross Cardwell and Kyle Vaas both hit home runs to help the Norfolk State Baseball team surge past Maryland Eastern Shore 13-3 on Sunday afternoon at Hawk Stadium and win the rubber game of the teams' weekend series.

It was the second homer in as many days for Cardwell, while Vaas hit his first homer of the year to lead NSU's season-best 17-hit attack. The Spartans (12-19, 8-6 MEAC), leading 5-3, put the game out of reach with an eight-run top of the ninth to win for the fourth time in six games this year against the Hawks (8-19, 4-8).

NSU scored twice in the top of the first and never trailed. Andre' Moore, who had a team-high three hits, reached on a bunt single and stole second. After Phillip Berry walked Cardwell, Zach Markel hit an RBI single to score Moore. Cardwell later scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 NSU lead.

UMES got a run back in the bottom of the first as Stephen Bull doubled, went to third on an NSU error and scored on Justin Dattilo's bases-loaded walk.
That would prove to be UMES' last run until the seventh as Spartan relievers Cooper Jones, Jeff Di Fulgo, Josh Vales and Devin Hemmerich kept the Hawks at bay. Cardwell extended the lead to 3-1 with a solo homer to right in the fifth.

NSU and the Hawks both scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Markel's sacrifice fly in the seventh scored Moore, who singled and again stole a base. Joshua James also had a sacrifice fly in the seventh for the Hawks.

Vaas led off the eighth with a solo home run to right, marking the first time this season the Spartans have hit more than one round-tripper in the same game. The Hawks kept it close as Greg Turlik singled in Bull in the bottom of the frame to bring UMES within 5-3.

But the Spartans left no doubt as to the outcome with an eight-run ninth inning. Thirteen men batted in the ninth, with Moore again serving as the catalyst. He led off with a double and Cardwell again drew a walk. Both men moved up a base on Markel's groundout, and both scored on Mikey Bruno's single to left, making it 7-3.

Bruno, who entered the game in the bottom of the eighth as a defensive substitution, advanced to third on a Vaas single and scored on a fielder's choice by Justin Burrell. Cody Ellis tacked on an RBI double and Justin Lee kept things going with a two-RBI triple to left-center.

Pinch hitter Tyon Ore's RBI single and a run-scoring double off the bat of Markel finished the uprising. NSU had eight hits in the inning.

Moore matched his career high with three hits, which is also a season high for the sophomore outfielder. He scored a career-high four runs and stole two bases. Cardwell, Markel, Vaas, Ellis and Omar Hotusing added two hits apiece. Markel had a team-best three RBI. Eight Spartans had at least one RBI, including Bruno and Lee with two apiece.

Jones (1-3) picked up the win with 2.1 scoreless innings of relief. He allowed just one hit and struck out two. Hemmerich earned his fourth save of the year after pitching the final four innings and allowing a pair of runs.

Berry (1-4) was charged with the loss. He gave up three runs in six innings.

The Spartans return home for a 4 p.m. game Tuesday with Longwood.