DOVER, Del. --- The Delaware State baseball team picked up a pair of Northeast Conference (NEC) wins over Norfolk State University at Bob Reed Field on Sunday.
 
As a result of today's wins, head coach JP Blandin recorded wins number 499 and 500 for his career.
 
Game One: Delaware State 11, Norfolk State 6
 
The Spartans got the scoring started by way of a two-RBI single for a 2-0 lead to complete the top half of the second inning.
 
The Hornets responded with back-to-back doubles from Chris Amparo and Nick Gnardellis to cut the lead in half to kick off the bottom of the second frame. A few batters later, Jancarlos Colon's at-bat caused a Norfolk State fielding error that allowed Gnardellis to score and tie the game at two after two complete innings.
 
Norfolk State took the lead right back in the top of the third by way of an RBI-double and RBI-single for a 4-2 advantage to end the top of the third.
 
After Evan Bouldin doubled and Trey Paige walked and eventually stole second base, Alec Rodriguez stepped up to the plate with runners in scoring position and a chance to tie the game.
 
Rodriguez made sure his at-bat counted as he ripped a single right back up the middle bringing home Bouldin and Paige to tie the game at 4 through the first third of the contest.
 
Wilfredo Mendez gave Delaware State the lead once and for all in the bottom of the fourth with his second home run of the weekend with a two-run shot over the wall in right field for a 6-4 Hornet lead. Amparo added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly to cap off the three-run fourth inning as Delaware State extended its lead to 7-4.
 
Norfolk State clawed its way back in the top of the sixth getting to within one but a 7-6 deficit was as close to the lead as the Spartans would get as the Hornets plated a run in the seventh and three in the eighth to secure the game one win that allowed Delaware State to clinch the series with a game to spare.
 
Offensively, Bouldin tied for a game-high three hits while Amparo, Colon, Gnardellis and Mendez all tallied a pair knocks each. Gnardellis, Mendez and Rodriguez all drove in a pair of runs helping to ensure the game one win.
 
On the mound, Evan Harris tallied his first win of the season after pitching two innings of relief. Harris sat down four, walked three and only allowed two hits and two runs to score. Freshman Jack Messmore earned his second save of the year after throwing three innings of one-hit baseball in which he recorded a season-high five strikeouts.
 
Game Two: Delaware State 8, Norfolk State 7
 
The Hornets established an early lead in the nightcap starting off with a Gnardellis RBI-double to center field that allowed Amparo to score from second for a 1-0 lead after the second inning.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Amparo belted his team-leading eighth round tripper with a 2-RBI no-doubter over the wall in left center field pushing the gap to 3-0 after four complete innings.
 
One inning later, Paige pushed the lead up even further with his own 2-RBI base hit that allowed Evan Bouldin and Colon to score for a 5-0 lead after five frames of action.
 
Norfolk State would not go away quietly and began to claw back into the game with a three-run sixth inning highlighted by a two-run home run from Spartans designated hitter Jacob Council.
 
The Spartans got to within one in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI-single to trim the deficit to 5-4 after the visitor half of the inning.
 
Paige and Krew Bouldin put the insurance runs across the plate one half inning later by way of back-to-back RBI doubles for an 8-4 game to end the seventh stanza.
 
Norfolk State plated three in the eighth, but it would not be enough as a one-run deficit would be as close to the lead as the Spartans would see in the second half of the doubleheader.
 
Offensively Delaware State was lead in large part by Amparo and Paige who both recorded multi-hit performances. Paige drove in a game-high four runs while Amparo notched a pair of RBIs.
 
On the mound, Evan Bouldin made sure Coach Blandin recorded win number 500 as the freshman pitcher struck out a season-best 12 Spartans during his outing. Bouldin is the first Hornet to record double-digit strikeouts in the regular season since Garrett Lawson's 14-strikeout game in Delaware State's 10-0 win over Coppin State back on April 12, 2019. Bouldin's performance also set the NEC single-game mark for most strikeouts in a game.
 
Hiram Davis came out of the bullpen for one and two-thirds innings and shut the door on a Norfolk State comeback as he picked up his second save of the season.
 
Delaware State returns to action this weekend for a three-game NEC series at Stonehill College. First pitch of the opener is currently set for 3 p.m. on Friday.