Norfolk, Va. (Mar. 19, 2016) --- The Delaware State baseball team picked a good time to pick up its first two wins of the season. The Hornets opened MEAC North play with a doubleheader sweep of defending division champ Norfolk State, winning the opener 9-5 and taking the seven-inning nightcap 5-3 at Marty Miller Field today.
In the opener, Austin Bentley was four-for-six with three runs batted in, while Jacob Bartlett and Sam Barber drove in two runs each to lead DSU's season-high 16-hit attack.
The nine runs also marked a season-high for the Hornets.
Delaware State did most of its damage off Norfolk State starter Matt Outman, the 2016 MEAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year and the league's 2015 top pitcher award winner.
The Hornets jumped on Outman right from the start, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning.
The rally began with Cameron Onderko drawing a walk with two outs and the bases empty. Bentley followed with a double to left field, with Onderko rounding the bases to score the game's first run. After Chris Panzarella walked to give the Hornets runners at second and first, Barber singled to left field, scoring Bentley to give DSU a 2-0 lead. Bartlett then singled in Panzarella with the third run of the inning.
The Hornets scored an unearned run off Outman in the second to take a 4-0 lead. Todd Henry singled with one out and later scored on a two-out error by Norfolk State shortstop Justin Lee.
Delaware State added a run in the third to go ahead 5-0. Bartlett doubled down the third base line with one and advanced to third on a wild pitch with one out. Rich Rountree followed with a single to left center to score Bartlett.
Norfolk State got on the board with a run in the bottom of the third off Delaware State starter Lane DeLeon. Spartan centerfielder Denathan Dukes singled with two outs, stole second, and crossed the plate on a single by Syeed Mahdi to cut the Hornets' lead to 5-1.
DSU got the run back in the fifth to open up a 6-1 advantage. Kwestin Smith singled off Outman with one out, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. He scored on a two-out single to left by Bentley.
Norfolk State got back into the game with three runs off DeLeon in the bottom of the fifth. Lee singled in the first run of the inning and the Spartans scored another run on a Hornet error. Mahdi drove in NSU's third run of the inning on a sacrifice fly to pull his team to within 6-4.
The Hornets answered with a run in the top of the sixth. Panzarella was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. He took second on a wild pitch and was chased home on a single by Bartlett to give DSU a 7-4 lead.
Delaware State added two runs in the seventh to open up a 9-4 lead. Bentley singled in his third run of the game and Barber had a sac fly to account for the runs.
Norfolk State was threatening with two runners on and one out in the eighth, but Hornet reliever Hunter McVey retired the last two batters to get out of the jam.
McVey put down the Spartans in order in the ninth to earn a save.
DeLeon threw five innings to pick up the win for the Hornets. He allowed six hits and four runs, two earned, while striking out a season-high seven and walking just one.
In the nightcap, Bartlett and Onderko drove in two runs each and McVey notched his second save of the day to lead the Hornets.
The game was scoreless until DSU put two runs on the board in the fourth.
Onderko led off the fourth with a walk, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Bentley. Panzarella followed with a single to move Onderko to third. Two batters later, Bartlett singled to center, scoring Onderko and Panzarella to give the Hornets a 2-0 lead.
Norfolk State (6-12; 0-2 MEAC) answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth off Delaware State starter Sean McGrath to cut the Hornets' lead to 2-1.
DSU regained a two-run lead when Rountree singled in Kwestin Smith from second with one out in the top of the fifth.
The Hornets added two much-needed insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Catcher Adrian Hill walked to lead off the seventh, and stole second with one out. Todd Henry moved Hill to third with a one-out single. After Henry took second on a passed ball, Onderko singled in both runners with two outs to stretch DSU's lead to 5-1.
The Hornets needed the cushion when Norfolk State scored two unearned runs off DSU reliever Darien Ragins in the last of the seventh. McVey retired the last two batters to give him a save in each game of the doubleheader.
Ragins tossed three innings in relief to pick up the win (1-2), while Norfolk State starter Devin Hemmerich (0-3) was tagged with the loss.
Delaware State (2-16; 2-0 MEAC) will go for the three-game sweep when the teams wrap up the series with a single game on Sunday at 12 p.m.
