Tanner Brandon and Tommy Woods both homered and Nolan Manzer pitched six shutout innings to help Norfolk State defeat NJIT 4-3 in the teams’ series-opener on Friday afternoon at Marty L. Miller Field.
Brandon and Woods – two Spartan newcomers – provided all the runs NSU (2-5) needed with two big swings of the bat. Brandon broke a scoreless tie with a solo homer in the sixth, then Woods added insurance by belting a three-run homer in the eighth to propel the Spartans.
NSU would need those runs as NJIT rallied for three runs in the ninth. Bases loaded walks drawn by the Highlanders Andrew Elcock and David Marcano and a bases-loaded hit by pitch drawn from Julio Marcano got NJIT within 4-3. But Spartan reliever Zac Capps coaxed a flyout with the bases still full to finish the game.
Manzer (2-0) was strong in his first career start. The sophomore right hander allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out a career high eight batters. He was nearly matched by NJIT starter Ryan Fischer, who held the Spartans scoreless through five.
But Brandon, a transfer from Bluefield State, led off the sixth with a fly ball over the left-field wall for his first homer as a Spartan. He also singled earlier in the game and walked once, finishing 2-for-3.
In the eighth, Jacob Council and Brandon both drew one-out walks. Pinch runner Malcolm Perry and Brandon scored when Woods, a transfer form John Logan College, blasted a homer over the fence in left-center for his first homer of the year.
The save was the first of the year for Capps, who got the final two outs of the season.
NSU outhit the Highlanders 5-4. Neither team committed an error.