Box Score / Box Score (PDF)
Norfolk, VA - Norfolk State defeated Wagner 7-3 in the rubber game of this weekend's three game series at Marty L Miller Field.
The Spartans (5-9) scored five times in the game's first four innings, before holding off a late-charging Seahawk (2-8) squad.
Norfolk State's Kyle Vaas opened the scoring with a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the first inning.
The Spartans added to the lead with another two-out tally in the second inning as Chase Kyriacou plated Mikey Bruno with a single through the right side, extending the lead out to 3-0.
Norfolk State struck for two more runs in the fourth inning as Kyriacou doubled in two more runs, but the damage could have been worse as senior RHP
Dakota Dvorak (Pompano Beach, FL / North Broward Prep) induced an inning ending grounder with runners on the corner.
After recording just one hit over the first four frames, Wagner finally broke through with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning. Freshman
Ben Ruta (West Windsor, NJ / West-Windsor Plainsboro South) led off with a walk, before moving to second when graduate student
Chase Gray (Toms River, NJ / Toms River South / Seton Hall) reached via a fielding error. Ruta advanced to third on a fielder's choice, before coming around to score when
Tommy Mazurkiewicz (So., Neshanic Station, NJ / Somerville) stole second and the throw went to the outfield. Mazurkiewicz would later come around to score on junior
Shaun Flynn's (Tabernacle, NJ / Seneca / Burlington County College) two-out RBI double down the left field line.
The Seahawks would again strike for a run in the top of the seventh inning. Mazurkiewicz reached with one out via an infield single. After Mazurkiewicz advanced to second, junior
Ian Miller (Downingtown, PA / Bishop Shanahan) also got aboard with an infield single. On the play, Mazurkiewicz to scored to trim the deficit to 5-3 when the ball got past the first baseman.
Norfolk State extended its lead out to 7-3 on Cameron Day's two-run homer in the bottom part of the frame while giving the Spartans some insurance runs.
Troy Applin then capped his two-inning save with a scoreless ninth inning en route to giving Norfolk State the series victory.
Mazurkiewicz paced a five-hit Green & White attack, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base.
Freshman RHP
Mike Adams (Egg Harbor Township, NJ / Holy Spirit) fell to 0-2 on the season, yielding four runs on four hits with four strikeouts over 3.0 innings of work.
Kyriacou went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs Day was 2-for-5 with home run, two runs and two RBI to lead the way for the Spartans.
Righthander Justin Bhatti improved to 1-3 on the year, allowing two unearned runs on two hits over 6.0 innings.
Wagner is next at VCU on Monday, March 11 at 6:00 pm.
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