SALISBURY, Md. – Raphy Rodriguez smacked a grand slam among his three hits Sunday, helping send the Norfolk State baseball team to a 6-2 win over Maryland Eastern Shore at Perdue Stadium.
Rodriguez's grand slam broke a 1-all tie with two outs in the top of the sixth. It was the first career homer for the sophomore shortstop, who went 3-for-4 to help NSU (5-12, 2-2 MEAC) earn a split of its first conference series of the season.
UMES (3-13, 2-2) scored the game's first run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first inning. The Spartans tied it up in the fifth. Rodriguez and
Dionte Brown hit consecutive singles before
Steven Shaffer's sacrifice fly plated Rodriguez with the tying run.
That set the stage for the decisive sixth inning.
Tommy Woods led off the frame with a double off UMES reliever Carter Rieben (0-1). A pair of one-out walks to
Korey Singh and
Brandon Cleveland loaded the bases. Following a failed bunt attempt, it looked like Rieben may avoid damage. But Rodriguez drilled a 1-1 pitch down the right-field line for NSU's first grand slam of the year and a four-run NSU edge.
The Hawks got a run back on Brantley Cutler's RBI double in the sixth. But the Spartans stretched the lead back to four, at 6-2, in the seventh. Shaffer led off the inning with a single and scored on a triple off the bat of
Jacob Council.
UMES loaded the bases after three walks in the ninth, but
Dylan Flint recorded the final two outs for his first career save.
Jackson Sanchez worked 1.1 scoreless innings in relief prior to that.
NSU sophomore left hander
Dalton Barham (1-4) picked up the win after his best and longest outing of the year. Barham scattered five hits and three walks while allowing just two runs in seven innings of work. He struck out a season-high six batters.
Rodriguez matched his career high with three hits, finishing 3-for-4 with two runs scored, four RBIs and one of NSU's four stolen bases. Council also went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a steal.
The Spartans return to action Wednesday with a 3 p.m. home game with VCU.
