NORFOLK, Va. – Albany pitching combined to limit Norfolk State to seven hits in a 5-0, 13-0 doubleheader sweep of the Spartans on Saturday at
Marty L. Miller Field.
In the opener, Cregg Scherrer (1-1) allowed just three hits over eight shutout innings for the Great Danes (4-4), who were held to just five hits themselves. In the nightcap, Ray Weber pitched a four-hit shutout and Albany took advantage of seven Spartan (2-7) errors.
Game 1
Albany got the only runs it would need in the fourth inning. After being held without a hit for the first three innings, the Great Danes notched three hits – two of the infield variety – in the fourth. Still, the Spartans appeared they would get out of the inning unscathed until an error with two outs allowed two Albany runs to score. Later in the inning, Matt Soloman's single behind second base knocked in two more runs. All four runs were unearned.
Brad Malm added an RBI single in the eighth for Albany.
The loss spoiled a strong outing from NSU right hander
Alex Wright (0-2). The graduate transfer pitched a season-high eight innings and struck out a season-best 10 batters. He allowed only four hits and one earned run.
Ty Hanchey had two of NSU's four hits.
Game 2
Albany started fast, scoring three times in the first two innings. Nick Kondo's sacrifice fly in the first and RBI single in the second helped stake the Great Danes to an early 3-0 lead.
An eight-run fifth, which included three NSU errors, broke the game open.
NSU's best chance to score came in the fifth.
Mason Velasquez doubled and went to third on a
Danny Hosley single. But Weber retired the next three Spartans on two infield popups and a groundout to end the threat.
Stephen Baughan's ninth-inning single was the only other hit for NSU, which was shut out for the third straight game.
Albany had 15 hits, four by Josh Gurnack and three by Dolan Ocasal.
Baughan had one hit in each game. He and Hanchey combined for four of the Spartans' seven hits on the day.
The teams wrap up their series with a 1 p.m. game Sunday.
