NORFOLK, Va. (March 12, 2023) – It was the rubber game of a three-game Northeast Conference weekend series at Miller Field on Sunday afternoon, but there was not much drama in it. The Sacred Heart University baseball team pounded out 18 hits to plate 15 runs in the series finale, on the way to a 15-1 victory over host Norfolk State. Right-hander Jack Kramer (Glen Rock, N.J.) threw six scoreless innings, while Robert Farruggio (Fairfield, Conn.) socked his first home run of the season.

Sacred Heart (6-7, 2-1 NEC) struck for two in the first and two more in the third and never looked back on Sunday. In the first, Sam Mongelli (Marlboro, N.Y.) worked a leadoff walk and Farruggio followed three batters later with a two-out, two-run blast to left field to open the scoring. In the third, Justin Jordan (Darien, Conn.) reached on a dropped third strike and Joey Skarad (Stamford, Conn.) was hit by a pitch, and both miscues proved costly for the Spartans. Ryan Donnelly (Fairfield, Conn.) followed and pumped a triple into right-center field to chase home both runs.

Meanwhile, Kramer (1-2) was busy putting together the best start yet in 2023 by a SHU pitcher. He threw 88 pitches (59 strikes) over six scoreless innings, surrendered just four hits, did not issue a walk, hit two batters and struck out six.

The Pios took all the stress out of things through the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, where they plated one, four and five runs, respectively. Mongelli had a three-run double in the sixth to break the game open, while Farruggio added a single to drive in his fourth run of the afternoon. Tim McGuire (Portsmouth, R.I.), Jordan and Skarad all added RBI singles in the seventh.

Norfolk State (3-11, 1-2 NEC) got its only run of the day in the last of the seventh, and SHU added a final tally in the ninth to create the 15-1 final.

For the second day in a row, NSU needed 200 pitches to get through the afternoon, as five different pitchers climbed the mound. Right-hander Antonio Velasquez (0-4) started and took the loss for the Spartans. Over three innings, he allowed four runs (two earned) on three hits, walked two, hit a batter and struck out four.

The Pios have a midweek contest at Rhode Island scheduled for Wednesday, and then host first-year NEC member Stonehill in a weekend series March 17-19. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. on Friday and noon on both Saturday and Sunday at Veteran's Park in Bridgeport.