SALISBURY, Md. – The Norfolk State baseball team split its final two road games of the regular season on Friday, winning the first game of a doubleheader with Maryland Eastern Shore 6-5 before losing game two, 3-0, at Perdue Stadium.
Games three and four of the series were cancelled due to the forecast of inclement weather over the weekend.
In the opener, the Spartans (15-30, 12-18 MEAC) scored four runs in the fifth for what proved to be the winning cushion. Trailing 2-1,
Brandon Cleveland reached on a two-out error and stole second base. He scored the tying run on a single by
Jacob Council.
Tanner Brandon followed with the go-ahead hit, a two-run double to center field that scored by Council and
Raphy Rodriguez, who had walked.
Tommy Woods capped the inning with an RBI single to score Brandon.
In the sixth,
Kam Walker singled and would score when UMES (16-31, 15-15 MEAC) threw away
Robert Beatty's sacrifice bunt, increasing the Spartans' lead to 6-2.
NSU needed that run, as UMES scored once in the sixth and twice in the seventh. Brantley Cutler and Brian Widdowson both hit RBI singles in the seventh to cut the Hawk deficit to one, but NSU reliever
Jackson Sanchez got a game-ending 6-4-3 double play with two runners on to close out the victory.
James Deloatch (4-4) picked up his team-leading fourth win of the year for the Spartans. He pitched six innings and allowed six hits and three runs, scattering five walks and striking out three. Sanchez collected his third save of the year.
Brandon and Woods each had two hits and two RBIs for the Spartans in the opener.
In game two, Cameron Bratton (2-5) pitched a two-hit shutout for the Hawks with six strikeouts. UMES managed just three runs off the Spartan pitching pair of
Noah Wiggins (0-2) and
Justin Walton, but that would be enough. Jason Brown scored on a wild pitch in the first inning, while Kyle Cincinnati and Ryan Davis hit run-scoring singles in the fourth inning.
NSU notched just two hits, a double by Cleveland in the third and a single by
Raphy Rodriguez in the seventh.
Wiggins pitched well in his second start of the year. He struck out three and walked none while allowing two earned runs in four innings. Walton struck out five in two scoreless innings of relief.
The Spartans are home for their final series of the season next week, a four-game set against Coppin State from Thursday-Saturday (May 12-14) at Marty L. Miller Field.
