Box Score NORFOLK, Va. – Sophomore outfielder
Syeed Mahdi's three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh capped Norfolk State's rally from a 6-0 deficit and sent the Spartans to a 12-7 win over Towson on Friday evening at
Marty L. Miller Field.
Mahdi's homer – his team-best third of the year and second in as many games – was part of a 3-for-4 day and put NSU (5-8) ahead 8-6. The Spartan bullpen was solid in relief, as right handers
Chase Anderson and
Alex Mauricio held Towson to one run in the final four innings after the Tigers (2-9) started hot.
After two scoreless innings, Towson scored twice in the third and four more times in the fourth against Spartan starter
Matt Outman. But Mahdi's RBI double in the bottom of the fourth scored
Brian Beard, who singled for the first Spartan of the game off Tigers' starter Matt Golczewski, getting NSU on the board.
NSU scored four more times in the fifth to chase Olcewski from the game.
Angel Rosario plated a run with a groundout, then Beard (single),
Roger Hall (single) and
Kyle Vaas (double) strung together three straight two-out RBI hits to cut the Towson lead to 6-5.
Hall was hit by a pitch from Marriggi to start the bottom of the seventh. Vaas then reached on a Tiger error before Mahdi hit a first-pitch fastball over the wall in left field to give NSU an 8-6 edge. The Spartans went on to score three more times in the inning as
Ismael Herrera scored on a wild pitch and Rosario smacked a two-run double to right, extending the Spartans' lead to 11-6.
Mahdi capped his day by doubling for the second time of the day and scoring in the eighth.
Anderson (3-1) earned a relief victory for the second straight game for NSU. He allowed four hits and one run in two innings, and struck out four for his team-leading third win of the season.
Alex Mauricio moved from third base to the mound in the eighth. He pitched two perfect innings and struck out three for his first save of the season.
Beard, Herrera and Lee had two hits apiece for NSU, which finished with 13 hits on the night. Mahdi had four RBI and Rosario three for the Spartans. Five different Spartans scored two runs apiece.
The teams plays game two of their series at 2 p.m. Saturday.
