DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., May 17, 2019—Korey Singh’s towering two-run home run in the seventh gave Norfolk State the lead as the Spartans defeated North Carolina A&T State 4-2 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Baseball Championship Friday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
The Spartans (24-24) advanced to Saturday’s 1 p.m. championship game, while the defending champion Aggies (29-23) will return tonight to face the Florida A&M-Delaware State winner to determine Norfolk State’s opponent.
With the Spartans trailing 2-1 in the seventh, Stephen Baughan led off with a double, then Singh, a sophomore, launched the first pitch deep into left center off the top of the Jumbotron to put Norfolk State ahead.
[inArticle]
“We knew Korey Singh was an impact-type bat and he had an impact-type at-bat with the two-run homer,” Norfolk State head coach Keith Shumate, the 2019 MEAC Coach of the Year, said. “We love those close games. They really fit us.”
Adam Collins manufactured an insurance run by singling, stealing second and advancing to home on two infield groundouts.
Chase Anderson preserved the lead with two more scoreless innings in a complete-game victory that saw the senior scatter six hits, walk none and strike out eight.
“I had a lot of confidence in my teammates. I knew at some point we would get a few runs across, so I had to be competitive in the zone,” Anderson said. “I knew didn’t have to be too perfect — I have good stuff and good teammates. “[Korey] has been struggling a bit in the tournament, but we knew he was due”
The Aggies took a 2-0 in the second when Ryne Stanley scored on a single from Zach McLean, who later scored on Brandon Melendez’s base hit.
Ty Hanchey singled in Baughan to cut it to a 2-1 game in the bottom half of the inning.
Baughan finished 3-for-4 for the Spartans, the MEAC Northern Division champions who are looking for their first conference tournament crown.