Box Score DOVER, Del. – Visiting Delaware State took advantage of four early Norfolk State errors to jump out to a 9-1 lead, then held off a furious rally to take a 9-8 decision over the Spartans on Monday at Soldier Field and win the first MEAC Northern Division series of the year, two games to one.

DSU is now 2-10 on the year, 2-1 in MEAC divisional play, while NSU falls to 4-7, 1-2.

The Hornets scored all of their runs in the first two innings, and eight of the nine were unearned due to four Spartan errors. NSU attempted to string together an improbable rally for a second straight day, but came up just short.

The Spartans got on the board first when leadoff hitter Denathan Dukes led off the game with a single and scored on a double by Andre' Moore off DSU starter Chris Gonzalez. The first three Spartan batters of the game reached base via hits, but DSU turned an inning-ending double play to limit the damage.

The Hornets then struck for three in the bottom of the first and six in the bottom of the second. Cameron Onderko knotted the score at 1-all with an RBI double in the bottom of the first. He later scored on the first NSU error of the day, and Justin Allen scored a short time later on a two-out wild pitch by NSU starter Stephen Butt to give the Hornets a 3-1 advantage after one frame.

The big blow came in the bottom of the second. After a lead-off walk to Devin Beverly, Butt retired the next two hitters. But following an intentional walk, NSU committed back-to-back errors to keep the inning alive and allow one run to score. Ron Farley tacked on a two-run single and Tyler Ramsey an RBI double, and a third Spartan miscue in the frame allowed yet another run to score for a 9-1 DSU edge.

A day after rallying from a two-run deficit by scoring the game's final six runs, the Spartans tried to piece together another rally on Monday. In the third, Dukes doubled and scored on a Roger Hall single. A two-out double by Angel Rosario kept the inning alive, and Moore later scored on a wild pitch to bring NSU within 9-4.

The Spartans cut their deficit to 9-6 on Hall's two-run double in the top of the fourth, then picked up single runs in the fifth and sixth. Ismael Herrera led off the fifth with a single and advance to third on another double by Rosario. Herrera then scored on a wild pitch by DSU's Dan Galati.

In the sixth, Dukes doubled and scored on Robbie Hiser's RBI single to bring NSU within 9-8.

But DSU kept NSU off the scoreboard over the final three frames. Galati retired NSU in order in the seventh and eighth innings. He issued a one-out walk to Hiser in the ninth, but reliever Garrett Coverdale induced a game-ending double play to seal the Hornets' victory.

NSU outhit DSU 11-9, but committed five total errors while the Hornets played errorless baseball.

Butt (0-1) took the loss despite allowing just one earned run, but nine total, in three innings. NSU relievers Lane Ward, Cooper Jones and Josh Vales combined to toss five scoreless innings and allowed just three hits between them.

Galati (1-2) earned the win for the Hornets, allowing just two hits and one run in four innings of relief work. Coverdale earned the save by recording the game's final two outs.

Dukes had a career game for NSU, registering personal bests in runs scored (four) and hits (three). He went 3-for-4, while Hall also had a career-best three hits in five trips. Hall drove in a game-high three runs, his second straight game with three RBI. 

In addition, Rosario went 2-for-4 with a pair of NSU's season-high six doubles.

Justin Allen went 2-for-5 for DSU.

NSU is back on the road for another contest Tuesday, this one a 5 p.m. matchup at Longwood.