HAMPTON, Va. – Pinch-hitter
Cody Donnell stroked a single to left-center in the bottom of the ninth to plate
Dylan Flint with the winning run as Norfolk State baseball scored twice in the bottom of the ninth for a 10-9 win over Delaware State at War Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
The Spartans ended the regular season at 18-10 in the MEAC and 22-26 overall, winning the series over DSU three games to one. NSU captured the Northern Division title for the fifth time in the last six years to earn the North No. 1 seed in next week's MEAC Tournament. They did it thanks to a season-high 18 hits, including a career-high four from
Danny Hosley and three from both
Alsander Womack and
Adam Collins.
After giving up a run in the top of the first on Saturday, the Spartans put up four in their half of the inning as
Dionte Brown opened with a walk and stole second before scoring on Womack's double to left field. Womack scored on a single to left by Hosley to put Norfolk State up 2-1.
Ty Hanchey followed with a single and advanced to second on an error moving Hosley to third. A
Jacob Council sacrifice fly plated Hosley and a single by
Khie Simms scored Hanchey who had stolen third to put the Spartans up 4-1.
Delaware State responded with a four-spot in the top of the second highlighted by a two-run double by Krew Bouldin as the Hornets took a 5-4 lead.
That deficit for NSU stayed at one until the top of the sixth when the Hornets pushed four more across with two of those coming on a two-run home run by Cole Garey to give Delaware State (15-26, 13-18) a 9-4 lead.
Norfolk State started its comeback with scratching a run in the bottom of the seventh as Womack doubled to left to lead off the inning and went to third on a Hosley single. After a strikeout, Council drove in Womack with a sacrifice fly to trim the deficit to 9-5.
In the eighth, the Spartans put up three runs as with one out, Collins singled to right and went to second on a wild pitch. A walk to
Raphy Rodriguez was followed by a wild pitch to move the runners to second and third. Following a pop out, Womack drew a walk to load the bases before Hosley laced a double into the left field corner to clear the bases and bring the Spartans to 9-8.
Simms started the bottom of the ninth with a walk and was replaced for pinch-runner
Jaran Davis, who promptly stole second on a failed pickoff attempt. A walk to Hong put runners at first and second before a bunt single by Collins loaded the bases with no one out. After a wild pitch plated Davis to tie the game, Donnell ripped a single to left-center to score Flint, who pinch ran for Hong, with the winning run.
Hosley was 4-for-5 with a career-best four RBI to lead Norfolk State, while Womack and Collins each went 3-for-4. Womack doubled twice and scored three times. Council and Simms each went 2-for-3, with Council knocking in a pair of runs.
Michael Portela picked up the win, throwing the last two innings and allowing one hit while striking out two.
Zach Dale took the loss for Delaware State with five runs in one inning of work. Trey Paige, Garey and Tripp Kimmell had three hits each for the Hornets.
The Spartans will play at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday in the MEAC Tournament opening round. NSU will take on the South No. 2 seed. Official seedings will be announced by the MEAC early next week.
