NORFOLK, Va. – Coppin State used eight shutout innings from Aaron Rea to take game one, 10-0, and then edged Norfolk State 7-5 in 12 innings in the nightcap to take both ends of a doubleheader from the Spartans on Sunday at
Marty L. Miller Field.
The wins moved Coppin State (8-14-1, 7-2 MEAC North) one game ahead of the Spartans (8-17, 6-3) for first place in the MEAC Northern Division.
Game 1: Coppin State 10, Norfolk State 0
Rea (1-4) allowed just two hits, singles by
Justin Hayes in the sixth and
Khie Simms in the eighth. He walked three and struck out six.
The Eagles scored single runs in the first on an NSU miscue and in the second on an RBI single by Andres Santana to take a 2-0 lead. Those would be the only runs CSU could muster off NSU starter
Jonathan Mahoney (3-4), who worked five innings and allowed just one earned run.
But the Eagles added four runs in the seventh, three in the eighth and one in the ninth to pull away.
Santana was 5-for-6 with two runs scored in the opener for the Eagles. Allen Saar and Derek Lohr added three hits each.
Game 2: Coppin State 7, NSU 5 (12 innings)
In the nightcap, the Eagles broke on top in the third on Caleb Duhay's two-out RBI double, then scored two more in the fourth on a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch to take a 3-0 lead.
The Spartans started to chip away in the fourth.
Stephen Baughan led off with a double and scored on Simms' RBI groundout.
Down to their final three outs in the scheduled seven-inning game, the Spartans had more late-inning magic in them. A day after rallying for a walk-off win in the opener of the series, NSU rallied in the bottom of the seventh.
Ismael Herrera walked to lead off the inning and
Johnny Mayer tripled to center to bring NSU within 3-2.
Syeed Mahdi's RBI single tied the game and forced extra innings.
The Eagles went ahead 5-3 on Duhay's two-run single in the top of the ninth before NSU again responded with its back to the wall. Singles by Mahdi,
Alsander Womack and Baughan loaded the bases before
Aaron Robinson tied the game with a two-run single.
But CSU would not be denied. Duhay tripled to start the 12th and Nazier McIlwain's sacrifice fly put the Eagles in front. Marcos Castillo added an RBI single later in the inning for the final run.
Corey Treyes (3-0) earned the win for CSU with 4.2 innings of relief work. He allowed two runs.
Seth Hockett (1-1) took the loss after allowing a pair of runs in 3.1 innings out of the NSU bullpen. Quinn Gleed worked a scoreless bottom of the 12
th for the save.
Baughan had his second three-hit game of the weekend, going 3-for-4. Mahdi, Mayer and
Alejandro Pelaez had two hits apiece and Robinson drove in two runs. Hayes swiped a pair of bases.
Duhay was 3-for-6 with three RBIs to pace the Eagles in the nightcap.
NSU is back home next weekend for another three-game MEAC series. The Spartans host Delaware State on Saturday for a 1 p.m. doubleheader and a single game at noon next Sunday.