HANOVER, Md. – Jonathan Mahoney pitched a three-hitter and
Aaron Robinson homered to help Norfolk State top Coppin State 5-1 and earn a doubleheader split between the teams on Saturday at Joe Cannon Stadium. The Eagles won the opener, 7-4, before NSU rebounded in the nightcap.
Robinson had four RBIs on the day, including a career-best three in game two for the Spartans, who are now 13-22 overall, 10-7 in the MEAC North. The Eagles, who are in first place ahead of NSU, are now 14-18-1, 13-3.
Game 1: Coppin State 7, NSU 4
The Eagles took advantage of five NSU errors to top the Spartans, who outhit the Eagles 9-8. The Spartans got their first run when
Syeed Mahdi singled, stole second and third and scored on
Ismael Herrera's RBI groundout in the second. The Eagles knotted the score with Marcos Castillo's RBI triple in the bottom of the frame, but NSU reclaimed the lead in the third.
Justin Hayes walked and
Alsander Womack singled him to third base to start the inning, and Robinson's sacrifice fly gave NSU a 2-1 lead.
But the Eagles scored six unanswered runs to take control. Nazier McIlwain's RBI double in the fourth tied the game, and he scored the go-ahead run later in the frame on Eric Crossman's run-scoring single. The big blow was a three-run sixth, which included just one CSU hit and two Spartan errors. A walk, a bunt single and the first NSU error of the frame allowed the first two runs to score. Corey Treyes' sacrifice fly capped the inning and put CSU ahead 6-2.
McIlwain's solo homer in the seventh extended the lead to 7-2. The Spartans scored a pair of runs in the eighth on Mahdi's fielder's choice and Herrera's groundout to draw within 7-4. But that was as close as NSU could get.
Mahdi went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, Hayes was 2-for-4 and Herrera drove in two for the Spartans.
Chase Anderson (5-4) was saddled with the loss after allowing seven runs, four earned, in seven innings pitched.
McIlwain, Castillo and Crossman had two hits each for the Eagles. Brandon Redfern (3-1) picked up the win after working 5.1 innings and allowing seven hits and two runs. Treyes pitched a scoreless ninth for the save.
Game 2: NSU 5, Coppin State 1
Mahoney (5-4) helped ensure the Spartans were not swept, as he allowed just three hits and one run while matching his season high with nine strikeouts. He did not allow a hit until Castillo's one-out double in the fourth, by which point the Spartans led 4-0.
Robinson gave NSU the early lead with a two-out solo homer, his second blast of the season, in the top of the first. The Spartans then scored three times in the third to widen their lead. Hayes, who walked and went to second on a balk, scored on Womack's two-out RBI single. Womack promptly stole second base and came home on Robinson's run-scoring single. Robinson later scored on a two-out error to put the Spartans ahead, 4-0.
Treyes tripled and scored on a groundout by Andres Santana in the fifth for the Eagles, but the Spartans got that run back in the seventh on Robinson's sacrifice fly.
Mahoney allowed a pair of base runners to start the bottom of the seventh, but got a big 4-6-3 double play and a flyout to finish his third complete game of the year.
Robinson was 2-for-2 with three RBIs in the nightcap for NSU, which outhit the Eagles 4-3. For the day, Hayes and Mahdi tallied three hits apiece.
The teams cap the series with a noon game on Sunday.
