NORFOLK, Virginia -- After yielding the go-ahead runs in the top of the 10th, host Norfolk State rallied with three in the bottom of the frame to pull off a 5-4 win over Quinnipiac in Saturday's final game of the Spartan Baseball Classic.Zach Markel tied the game with a two-out RBI single, then scored the winning run on the Bobcats' second error of the inning and fifth of the game to give the Spartans (1-4) their first win of the year.
With the game tied 2-2 heading into extras, Quinnipiac took advantage of four walks, two with the bases loaded, to claim a 4-2 lead.
But NSU bounced back in the bottom of the frame. Freshman third baseman Justin Burrell doubled to lead off the inning off Bobcats' reliever Joseph Scaglione. One batter later, he scored on a single by Justin Lee to cut the deficit in half. After Killian Strenn struck out, Lee advanced to second on a wild pitch. Markel then lined a 2-2 pitch from Scaglione into center field, scoring Lee to knot the game at 4-all.
Cameron Day then walked and Ross Cardwell reached on a throwing error by Quinnipiac to load the bases. Denathan Dukes then grounded one to short and the Bobcats mishandled it, allowing Markel to score the winning run.
The wild 10th inning capped a back-and-forth game. Quinnipiac scored a pair of runs in the top of the second. A walk, infield single and hit batsmen loaded the bases with no outs. Louis Ianotti plated the game's first run with a sacrifice fly, and Mike Blumenthal's two-out RBI double made it 2-0.
The score remained that way until the bottom of the seventh, when the Spartans strung together a clutch two-out rally. Quinnipiac reliever Matthew Lorenzetti retired the first two batters of the inning, but then hit Strenn and walked Markel. Day followed with an RBI single to left, scoring Strenn. Pinch hitter Cardwell then tied the game with a sharp double down the left-field line.
The Spartans had a great chance to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth, as Lee and Strenn hit consecutive two-out singles and Markel walked to load the bases. But Lorenzetti got Day to ground out to end it.
The Bobcats scored twice in the 10th off Spartan relievers Connor Jones and Troy Applin. Jones issued a walk to Mike Palladino and was replaced by Applin. Applin retired the next two batters, but gave up a single to Vincent Guglietti and walked Scott Donaghue, Rob Pescitelli and Brian Ruditys in succession to force in a pair of runs. But Josh Vales came in and struck out Ianotti to end the threat.
Lee went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Markel scored a pair of runs.
Donaghue went 2-for-3 for Quinnipiac.
Vales (1-1) got his first win for NSU, while Scaglione (1.2 innings, three runs allowed) took the loss for the Bobcats.
Tomorrow's final day of the Spartan Classic starts with Buffalo vs. Quinnipiac at 10 a.m. before NSU faces Villanova at 2 p.m.
Box Score
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
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