Freshman left hander Richie Salter pitched a complete game six-hitter, and Chris Joyce and John Lynch combined for four hits and three RBI to lead No. 3 seed Norfolk State over No. 4 Delaware State 5-1 in the MEAC Baseball Championship Tournament on Saturday morning at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
The Spartans (21-28-1) advance to face the loser of Saturday afternoon's game between Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina A&T at 6 p.m. The Hornets had their season end at 13-36.
Salter, who has been limited due to injury much of the season, was making just his third appearance and second start of the season. But after running into some trouble in the early innings, the freshman settled down and allowed just two hits over the final seven innings. He gave up a total of six hits and one earned run while walking six and striking out three.
DSU broke on top first on Tony Gatto's two-out RBI single in the top of the first inning, but NSU answered with two runs in the bottom of the first. Joyce lined an RBI double down the left-field line, his school-record 23rd double of the season, to tie the score at 1-all. Joyce then scored on a two-out Hornets' error to give NSU a 2-1 lead.
Joyce added a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third. That scored Lynch, who was hit by a pitch, stole second and advanced to third on another DSU error.
Spartans stretched their lead to 5-1 in the fifth. Lynch knocked in a run with a single, stole second and eventually scored on a fielder's choice hit by Cameron Parsons.
That was more than enough for Salter, who improved to 2-0 on the season. Ryan Haas (0-8) took the loss for DSU, allowing six hits and five runs, one earned, in five innings.
Lynch, Joyce and Drew Suttmiller had two hits each for the Spartans. Gatto and Mike Rizzuto had two hits each for DSU, which dropped five of six to NSU this season and was eliminated from the conference tournament by the Spartans for the second straight year.
The baseball action continues today at 2 p.m. with Bethune-Cookman facing off against North Carolina A&T. The championship finale is set for Sunday, May 23 at 2 p.m. and will air on ESPNU in a tape-delayed format on May 24 at 5 p.m. The broadcast will be the MEAC's first televised baseball championship on the network.
Admission for the 2010 MEAC Baseball Championship is $4 for children (13 and under), students and seniors and $8 for adults. Discounted ticket packages are available for all three days at a cost of $12 for children, students and seniors and $20 for adults. Tickets can be purchased at the Jackie Robinson Ballpark, 105 E. Orange Ave., Daytona Beach, Florida.
For more information on MEAC Baseball, visit www.MEACsports.com.