Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NORFOLK, Va. – Justin Lee's two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning was the go-ahead hit, and the Spartans clinched the MEAC's regular-season Northern Division title for the second straight year with a 5-2 win over Delaware State in game one of a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Marty L. Miller Field.

The Hornets (11-33, 11-9 MEAC) topped NSU 10-7 in game two of the day's doubleheader, which was a makeup contest from a March 20 rainout. But the Spartans (23-18, 16-5 MEAC), who took three of four from DSU to win their sixth straight weekend series, are assured of the No. 1 seed from the league's northern division in the MEAC tournament later this month. 

Held in check for most of Sunday's opener, the Spartan bats came to life with two outs in the eighth and NSU trailing 2-1. After DSU reliever Darrien Ragins set down the first two batters of the inning, Ragins walked three straight batters as a steady rain began to fall. Ragins was lifted in favor of Hunter McVey, and McVey was greeted by a two-run single by Lee that gave the Spartans the 3-2 lead. Denathan Dukes followed by lining a two-run triple into the right-field corner to increase the lead to 5-2.

Sophomore Alex Mauricio closed it out from there, working around one hit and one walk to pick up his third save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning. Michael Parmentier (1-3) earned the win in relief, retiring all four batters he faced with one strikeout in 1.1 innings pitched. Devin Hemmerich took a no-decision after allowing just five hits and two runs, one earned, with six strikeouts in 6.2 innings pitched.

DSU took the early lead, scoring its first run of the series in the top of the first against Hemmerich. Todd Henry led off the game with a double and scored on Darnell Maisonet's groundout. The Spartans tied the score at 1-all on outfielder Syeed Mahdi's solo home run off DSU starter Cole Davis in the second. It was Mahdi's team-leading fifth homer of the season.

But the Hornets took the lead back in the top of the third on Henry's RBI single.

Davis kept NSU off the board after the second, working out of frequent trouble to pitch seven effective innings. He stranded eight runners in his last four innings and left with the lead, but took the no-decision. Davis struck out five in seven innings worked. Ragins (2-4) was tagged with the loss after allowing three runs in two-thirds of an inning pitched.

In game two, NSU took a 2-0 lead in the second inning thanks to RBI singles by freshmen Chase Anderson and Kevin Granger. But the Hornets bounced back with four runs in the third, five in the fourth and one in the fifth to surge into the lead, 10-2.

NSU made it a game by scoring five times on its own in the fifth. Robbie Depp and Brian Beard hit RBI singles in the frame, while Tony Leite knocked in a run with a fielder's choice grounder and Ben Delgado hit a sacrifice fly to cut NSU's deficit to 10-7.

But Ragins pitched the last two innings without allowing a run to seal the win for the Hornets. Ragins struck out five to earn the save.

Austin Bentley knocked in five runs in game two for the Hornets.

Terry Godfrey (1-1) earned the win by pitching the first four innings for DSU. Cooper Jones (2-4) took the loss, allowing six hits and five earned runs to go with five strikeouts in 3.1 innings pitched.

Anderson, Granger and Roger Hall had two hits each in the nightcap. Hall doubled and scored a pair of runs, and finished the day with three hits in all.

The Spartans play their home finale on Wednesday against the University of Richmond at 6 p.m. NSU will recognize its five seniors and also sponsor its annual fundraiser benefitting the Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore at the game.