Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 DOVER, Del. – Delaware State's Hassan Evans drove in five runs and keyed the go-ahead rally in both games of Saturday's 8-5, 4-2 MEAC doubleheader sweep of Norfolk State at Soldier Field.

With the wins, the Hornets (23-13, 12-6) inched closer to clinching their third straight MEAC Northern Division regular-season title. The Spartans (15-23, 11-9), who had a chance to move into first in the division with a series win this weekend, remain in second place.

In game 1, Evans and Cameron Onderko both homered and combined for five hits and five RBI.

The Spartans got the bats going early, scoring five runs in their first three innings and taking a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the third. Cameron Day tripled to lead off the second inning and scored on Chase Kyriacou's single. Cody Ellis also singled, and both he and Kyriacou scored on a Kyle Vaas single to give NSU a 3-0 lead.

Evans hit a solo homer in the bottom of the second, but NSU kept pouring it on with two more in the third. The Spartans started the inning with five straight singles. Andre' Moore, Zach Markel and Day hit the first three singles to load the bases. Kyriacou and Ellis then hit back-to-back singles to make it 5-1. DSU starter Matt McClain avoided further damage, though, by getting a double play and a groundout to end the inning.

McClain settled down after that, and DSU's offense slowly chipped away. Onderko led off the third with a solo homer and Mike Alexander added an RBI single to cut NSU's lead to 5-3. The Hornets then tied it up in the fifth. Onderko walked and scored on an Aaron Nardone groundout. Cameron Cecil, who doubled earlier in the frame, then scored the tying run on a two-out wild pitch by NSU reliever Devin Hemmerich.

DSU scored the go-ahead run in the sixth. Evans reached on an NSU error and came around to score on a single by Onderko. The Hornets added a pair of runs in the seventh when D.J. Miller and Eddie Sorondo both scored on Evans' two-out single.

The Spartans out-hit DSU 12-11 in game 1, but had just two hits in the final six innings. McClain (6-0) shook off the rough start to earn the win, going seven innings and allowing 12 hits and five runs. Hemmerich (3-3) allowed three runs, two earned, in 3.1 innings to take the loss.

Moore, Markel, Day, Kyriacou and Ellis – the Spartans' No. 2-6 hitters – had two hits apiece for the Spartans in the opener.

NSU led 2-1 halfway through game 2, but again could not keep DSU, the nation's top hitting team coming into the doubleheader, in check. Justin Lee hit a sacrifice fly in the third inning and Kyriacou had one in the fourth to help NSU maintain a slim lead.

But Evans delivered a two-run triple to highlight a three-run bottom of the fourth inning for the Hornets. Evans later scored on a D.J. Miller sacrifice fly to give DSU some insurance.

That would be all DSU right hander Harry Thomas (3-2) would need. He pitched a complete game three-hitter, walking two and fanning three. Matt Outman (5-2) took the loss for NSU, allowing eight hits and four runs in 5.1 innings of work.

Day, Justin Burrell and Robert Reaume had NSU hits in the nightcap, all coming on single. Day was 3-for-8 on the afternoon.

Chris Gonzalez was 2-for-3 with a solo homer in game 2 for DSU. Evans went a combined 3-for-7 with the five RBI in the two games.

The teams conclude their series on Sunday at 1 p.m.