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NORFOLK, Va. – John Lynch (Newport News, Va.) and Chris Joyce (Chesapeake, Va.) combined for four hits and five RBI to spark Norfolk State to an 8-6 win over Virginia State on Tuesday afternoon at Marty L. Miller Field.

Lynch hit a three-run, inside-the-park home run in the Spartans' four-run first. Joyce had an RBI single in the first and a run-scoring double in the fifth.

VSU later rallied to within a run at 7-6, but the Spartans (12-16-1) held on to snap their four-game losing streak.

Freshman right hander Greg Abetz (Norfolk, Va.) picked up his first career win for NSU with 7.1 innings of work. He allowed nine hits and six runs, walking just one and striking out five. Ryan Shook (Virginia Beach, Va.) pitched the final 1.2 innings to earn his fifth save of the year.

Joyce's RBI single got NSU on the board in the bottom of the first. Lynch followed with a long drive to the gap in right-center. He never slowed down and just beat the relay throw to the plate for his third home run of the season.

Damien Cotman hit a sacrifice fly and Brandon Crump an RBI double to bring VSU (25-22) within 4-2 in the fifth. But the Spartans answered with three more runs in the bottom of the inning. Joyce's RBI double off the wall in center was sandwiched by run-scoring singles by James Taylor (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Brandon Hairston (North Garden, Va.) to stretch NSU's lead to 7-2.

But the Trojans kept chipping away. They picked up a run in the sixth on John Bivens' RBI single, and got three more in the eighth. Deshawn Showell's RBI triple highlighted the inning, which ended Abetz's first career start. 

Shook came in and threw a wild pitch, allowing Showell to score from third to cut the Spartans' edge to 7-6. But Shook ended the threat there, and worked around two singles in the ninth to earn his fifth save. Shook fanned three of the five batters he retired.

Lynch and Taylor each went 2-for-4 for NSU, while Joyce was 2-for-5. Joyce and Taylor scored two runs apiece.

Shawn McEnhimer was 3-for-5, while Crump and Daniel Cornett had two hits each for the Trojans. Left hander David Gibson (4-7) went the distance to take the loss for VSU, allowing 11 hits and eight runs, six earned. He walked four and struck out six.

The Spartans are back in action on Wednesday at Longwood. The teams will play a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. in Farmville, Va.