Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 DOVER, Del. – The Norfolk State baseball team took over sole possession of first place in the MEAC Northern Division on Sunday by sweeping a doubleheader from Delaware State, 6-0 and 6-2, at Soldier Field.

Kyle Vaas had four hits and four RBI on the afternoon to back the strong starting pitching of Matt Outman, who pitched a three-hit shutout in the opener, and Jonathan Mauricio, who pitched five solid innings in the nightcap for NSU (13-14, 7-3 MEAC).

Outman (4-2) scattered three hits in pitching a season-high nine innings in game one. He walked two batters and struck out seven. Sunday marked his second shutout of the season and first since a seven-inning, six-hit effort against NJIT on Feb. 28.

The Spartans gave Outman support right off the bat by scoring three times in the top of the first. Brian Beard, Vaas and Ismael Herrera all delivered RBI singles in the top of the first off DSU (5-25, 5-5) starter Lane DeLeon to give the Spartans an early advantage.

Beard led off the third with another single, stole second base and scored on a double by Vaas to make it 4-0. Syeed Mahdi widened the margin to 6-0 in the sixth with a two-run single.

Outman was in command throughout. DSU only got more than one baserunner in an inning one time, that coming in the eighth. Jake Bartlett drew a lead-off walk, and two outs later, went to third on a single by Todd Henry. But Outman got Kwestin Smith to line out to end the inning, then retired the side in order in the ninth, including the last two outs by strikeout.

The win was also the 20th of Outman's career, moving him into fourth place by himself on the career school victories list.

Beard went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, an RBI and two stolen bases in game one. Vaas was 2-for-4 with two RBI, and Chase Anderson also went 2-for-4.

In the nightcap, the Spartans broke a 1-1 tie with a four-run top of the fifth inning, and Mauricio and reliever Michael Parmentier made that lead stand up as the Spartans completed the doubleheader sweep.

DSU took a 1-0 lead in the third on a two-out RBI single by Darnell Maisonet off Mauricio. But Justin Lee's two-out, run-scoring single in the fourth knotted the score at 1-all.

The Spartans then took control of the game by notching four hits in the fifth. Beard was hit by a pitch with one out and Roger Hall followed with a single. Vaas then had the biggest hit in the frame, a two-run triple that gave the Spartans a 3-1 lead. Vaas then scored on a groundout by Anderson. But the Spartans weren't done in the inning. Herrera's two-out single scored Angel Rosario to extend NSU's advantage to 5-1.

DSU made it 5-2 on an Austin Bentley RBI single in the sixth, but Denathan Dukes' tacked on a run-scoring single in the seventh to get the run back for NSU.

Michael Parmentier earned the save by pitching the final two innings. He struck out three. Mauricio improved to 2-2 on the season with five innings of work, matching his career high with six strikeouts. He allowed five hits and one run.

Beard, Vaas and Lee had two hits apiece in game two for NSU. 

Vaas finished the doubleheader 4-for-7 with four RBI and two runs scored. Beard, Hall and Anderson added three hits apiece in the doubleheader.

The teams conclude their three-game series at 1 p.m. Monday.