THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 26, 1996 TAG: 9602260136
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KEVIN DOEPP, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
With a victory and a tie Sunday at Harbor Park against Penn State, the Norfolk State baseball team showed that they plan on doing more than just showing up when they jump to Division I in 1998.
In game one, Booker T. Washington graduate and coach's son Eric Miller lined a two-run single to left scoring Eugene Mugler and Timothy Ford in the bottom of the sixth inning propelling the Spartans to a 4-3 victory.
``That was the biggest hit of the season so far,'' Eric Miller said. ``Not just for me, but for the whole team.''
Great Bridge graduate David Ellyson picked up his first win of the season after a rocky start that included six straight balls and a wild pickoff throw.
After allowing two runs in the first, he settled down and only gave up one more run and two more hits until being relieved in the seventh by Harry Baylor.
``I had the butterflies when I came out there,'' Ellyson said. ``I worked on changing speeds and I called my own pitches which made me more comfortable.''
The second game was called due to darkness with the score tied at three after eight innings.
The Spartans spotted the Nittany Lions three runs in the third inning before coming back in their half of the third.
Second baseman Jermaine Timberlake walked and went to second when leadoff batter Ed McInnis was hit by a pitch. First baseman Omari Venable singled in Timberlake and rightfielder Adrian Harris singled in McInnis.
The Spartans tied the game at three in the fifth when Harris scored on Mugler's fielder's choice.
Coach Marty Miller, who scheduled 20 games this season against Division I teams, was pleased with his team's performance.
``We are working towards playing in Division I and I believe today is a good indicator of what we are capable of,'' Miller said.
``We are a young club right now, but we showed a lot of heart and determination today.'' by CNB