Box Score

NORFOLK, Va. – Brandon Hairston went 2-for-4 with a grand slam and a career-high five runs batted in to lead Norfolk State to a 9-4 win over Georgetown on Wednesday afternoon at Marty L. Miller Field.

Hairston's slam – the first of his collegiate career and his second homer of the season – highlighted a five-run second for the Spartans (2-2).

Both teams scored twice in the first. The Hoyas' runs came on a pair of two-out NSU errors, leading to two unearned runs against NSU starter Ryan VanAssche. NSU answered in the bottom of the first. John Lynch led off with a double to deep left field, and John Rasberry followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Chris Joyce knocked in Lynch with a sacrifice fly, and Hairston plated Rasberry with a single to tie the game at 2-2.

The Spartans took command with a five-run bottom of the second inning. Sammy Serafine and Rafael Colon hit back-to-back one-out doubles for the first run of the inning. Then with two outs and the bases loaded, Hairston launched a grand slam home run over the right-field fence for a 7-2 Spartans' lead.

Hunter Kenney knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh, and Joyce hit an RBI single in the eighth to provide the rest of the Spartans' scoring.

VanAssche improved to 2-0 on the season with six solid innings of work. He allowed five hits and three runs, one earned, with two walks and four strikeouts in his first collegiate start. VanAssche also picked up the win in relief last Saturday against Villanova.

Joyce finished 2-for-3 with two RBI, and Serafine also had two hits. Rasberry scored three runs and Lynch two.

Sean Lamont had three hits for Georgetown (2-2), and Mike Garza and Rand Ravnaas had two apiece.

The Spartans play a three-game series this Saturday and Sunday at Savannah State.