The Delaware State baseball team picked a good time to pick up its first two wins of the season. The Hornets opened MEAC North play with a doubleheader sweep of defending division champ Norfolk State, winning  the opener 9-5 and taking the seven-inning nightcap 5-3 at Marty Miller Field on Saturday.

In the opener, Austin Bentley was four-for-six with three runs batted in, while Jacob Bartlett and Sam Barber drove in two runs each to lead DSU’s season-high 16-hit attack.

The nine runs also marked a season-high for the Hornets.

Delaware State did most of its damage off Norfolk State starter Matt Outman, the 2016 MEAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year and the league’s 2015 top pitcher award winner.

The Hornets jumped on Outman right from the start, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning.

The rally began with Cameron Onderko drawing a walk with two outs and the bases empty. Bentley followed with a double to left field, with Onderko rounding the bases to score the game’s first run. After Chris Panzarella walked to give the Hornets runners at second and first, Barber singled to left field, scoring Bentley to give DSU a 2-0 lead. Bartlett then singled in Panzarella with the third run of the inning.

The Hornets scored an unearned run off Outman in the second to take a 4-0 lead. Todd Henry singled with one out and later scored on a two-out error by Norfolk State shortstop Justin Lee.

Delaware State added a run in the third to go ahead 5-0. Bartlett doubled down the third base line with one and advanced to third on a wild pitch with one out. Rich Rountree followed with a single to left center to score Bartlett.

Delaware State added two runs in the seventh to open up a 9-4 lead. Bentley singled in his third run of the game and Barber had a sac fly to account for the runs.

Norfolk State was threatening with two runners on and one out in the eighth, but Hornet reliever Hunter McVey retired the last two batters to get out of the jam.

McVey put down the Spartans in order in the ninth to earn a save.

Lane DeLeon threw five innings to pick up the win for the Hornets.  He allowed six hits and four runs, two earned, while striking out a season-high seven and walking just one.

In the nightcap, Bartlett and Onderko drove in two runs each and McVey notched his second save of the day to lead the Hornets.

Hens sweep Fairfield: The University of Delaware posted two more comeback wins Saturday afternoon as the Blue Hens used some timely hitting and pitching to finish off a weekend sweep over Fairfield by taking both ends of a baseball doubleheader under rainy and raw conditions at Bob Hannah Stadium.

Delaware (15-5), winners in 10 of its last 11 games, won the first game 4-3 as the Hens scored three runs in the third and then scored the game-winner in the sixth on a fielder’s choice groundout. In the nightcap, the Hens overcame a 6-0 deficit by erupting for six runs in the sixth, two in the seventh, and three more in the eighth to post an 11-6 triumph. Combined with the 22-6 win over Fairfield (4-11) on Friday, the Hens swept a series for the second straight weekend.

Delaware got solid pitching in both victories as freshman lefthander Brandon Walter started the opener and improved to 2-2 as he scattered 11 hits over seven innings and struck out six to earn the win. Colman Vila pitched a scoreless eighth and Kyle Hinton a perfect ninth to notch his first career save.

Nick Tierno went 4 for 8 with four RBI for the doubleheader while Jeremy Ake and Kyle Baker each went 4 for 7 with an RBI.

Wesley splits with Mary Washington: The Wesley College Baseball team split a pair of Capital Athletic Conference contests against Mary Washington, winning game one 10-9 behind a Joseph Hummel cycle. The Wolverines fell 8-4 in game two.

Hummel’s game one effort included a single in the third, an RBI double in the fourth, a solo home run in the sixth, and a stand-up triple in the eighth to complete the cycle. The first baseman finished 4-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored. Eric Speidel and Dre Jones each blasted solo shots over the left field wall for the Wolverines on their way to a 10-9 win.

Eric Willey tossed 6.1 innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits while striking out seven Eagles for the win. Nate Weir tossed two innings before handing the ball to Andrew Weaver. Weaver finished the game with a pair of strikeouts to earn his second save of the year.

College lacrosse

MEN, St. Joseph 12, Delaware 7: The Blue Hens outshot the host Hawks, had a distinct advantage on groundballs, and the teams were even on faceoffs. But Saint Joseph’s broke open a close game by scoring the first three goals of the second half and pulled away.

Delaware (3-6), which had a two-game win streak snapped and was playing its third straight road game, had tied the score at 5-5 with 3:55 left in the first half, but Saint Joseph’s scored less than a minute later to take a one-goal lead into intermission and then tallied the first three goals of the second half to take control at 9-5.

The Hens cut the lead to 9-6 in the final minute of the third stanza but never got closer.

WOMEN, Stony Brook 8, Delaware 7: Down 8-3 with 15 minutes remaining, the Blue Hens rattled off four unanswered goals before they ran out of time Saturday afternoon against No. 10/11 Stony Brook at LaValle Stadium.

The loss halts a six-game winning streak and is just the second of the season for Delaware (8-2). The Hens, who were ranked 22nd nationally coming into the game with 12.56 goals per contest, were held to less than 10 goals for the first time this year.

College softball

Wesley sweeps Keystone: The Wolverines earned a pair of wins on Saturday afternoon, defeating Keystone College 10-2 in game one and walking off on a Nina Marcano three-run home run in game two for a 9-6 victory.

Marcano finished the day with two home runs, one in each game. She went 4-for-9 from the plate with seven RBI in the two games combined. Lindsay Siok earned the win on the mound in both games, starting in game one and pitching three scoreless innings, and then finishing game two with three innings pitched.