Box Score | Updated Bracket | Championship Central


NORFOLK, Va., May 21, 2021—Norfolk State got a strong outing from pitcher James Deloatch and a clutch late-inning run to defeat North Carolina Central 1-0 in the 2021 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Baseball Championship on Friday at Marty L. Miller Field.
 
Norfolk State advances to Saturday’s championship game against the team that emerges from the elimination bracket. The Eagles fall to the 7 p.m. elimination game against the winner of the Florida A&M-Delaware State game.
 
Saturday’s title game will be streamed live on FloBaseball at 12 p.m.
 
The game was the definitive pitchers’ duel for seven and a half innings, before the Spartans finally broke through in the bottom of the eighth. Alsander Womack reached on an error with two outs in the inning, then advanced to second on a passed ball before scoring on a Danny Hosley single to left to put the Spartans up 1-0.
 
That run spoiled what had been a dominant outing for Austin Vernon; the First Team All-MEAC honoree had only given up three hits and struck out nine heading into the eighth inning.
 
Hosley had two of the Spartans’ four hits.
 
Deloatch was also strong on the mound for the Spartans (24-26) to pick up his seventh win of the season, going the distance, scattering four hits and striking out five.
 
MEAC Rookie of the Year Chet Sikes went 2-for-3 for the Eagles (26-19).