NORFOLK, Va. – Dionte Brown hit a two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Norfolk State a dramatic 13-12, walk-off win over Delaware State in the series finale on Sunday at Marty L. Miller Field.
Brown hit an 0-1 breaking ball off DSU reliever C.J. Loper into left-center field to score Malcolm Perry and Brandon Cleveland with the tying and winning runs, setting off a spirited celebration in the infield as the Spartans (14-29, 11-17) earned a split of the four-game weekend series.
The Spartans led 8-1 entering the seventh before DSU mounted an improbably rally. The Hornets scored four in the seventh and seven in the eighth, highlighted by a Trey Paige grand slam, to take a 12-10 lead.
The Spartans trimmed their deficit to 12-11 in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single by Steven Shaffer, but Loper stranded two runners to keep the Hornets in the lead.
But NSU had one last rally in it. Pinch hitter Perry led off the ninth by drawing a walk. Cody Donnell followed with a sacrifice bunt before Cleveland also walked.
Raphy Rodriguez grounded out to first to advance both Perry and Cleveland up one base. That's when Brown drove in his second and third runs of the game to save the day.
NSU got started quickly, scoring twice in the first off just one hit. Rodriguez walked and after a single by Brown, scored on Tanner Brandon's sacrifice fly. Brown then scored with two outs on a wild pitch by DSU starter Evan Harris.
The Hornets got a single run back in the top of the third, but NSU broke through for four runs in the bottom half. The inning included four more walks from Harris, including bases-loaded free passes to Brown and Steven Shaffer that scored two runs. Kam Walker knocked in another run with an infield single and Tommy Woods' sacrifice fly capped the scoring and gave NSU a 6-1 lead.
Brandon stretched the lead to 8-1 when he singled in two runs in the bottom of the fourth.
The Hornets got back within striking distance in the seventh, scoring four runs off just one hit. Four walks and a double by Mason Brewer accounted for most of the damage, bringing the Hornets within 8-5.
NSU got two of those runs back in the bottom of the seventh on a pair of two-out RBI hits by Camrin Sturgeon and Robert Beatty.
But DSU scored seven times off just two hits in the eighth. Four walks and an NSU miscue allowed two runs to score before Paige hit a grand slam over the right-field fence. Krew Bouldin then singled and later scored on a wild pitch to give the Hornets a two-run lead.
The Spartans, however, rallied behind an offense which scored 10+ runs for the second straight game. Rodriguez, Brown, Brandon and Sturgeon all had two hits each for the Spartans. Brown and Brandon both knocked in three runs while Rodriguez scored four times.
Brandon also earned the win in relief for the Spartans, pitching a scoreless top of the ninth with one strikeout for his first pitching victory of the year in just his third appearance.
Paige was 2-for-4 with six RBIs for DSU.
The Spartans are on the road next weekend for a four-game series at Maryland Eastern Shore.
