Box Score
NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State committed four errors, two leading to the go-ahead run in the eighth, as visiting Virginia Commonwealth escaped Marty L. Miller Field with a 7-6 win over Norfolk State on Tuesday afternoon.
The Spartans (3-5) rallied from a 6-0 deficit to tie the game, only to have their defense fail them. With one out in the top of the eighth, Chris Ayers walked off NSU reliever Raymond Morton (0-1). Pinch runner Ryan Caldwell stole second, then went to third as a miscommunication in the NSU outfield led to the first dropped fly ball of the inning. Bill Cullen then reached base on another dropped fly, which allowed Caldwell to score from third.
The Spartans got their lead-off batter on in the bottom of the ninth as James Taylor was hit by a pitch. He stole second base, but was stranded there as the Rams (3-4) held on.
Early on, it appeared as though VCU would run away with this one. The Rams scored six times in the top of the third. An infield hit and a walk got things started, and Paul Nice knocked in the first run with an RBI single. Cullen scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0. Then with two outs and the bases loaded, Taylor Buran grounded to shortstop for what appeared to be the third out. But Joey Cujas hustled on the base paths and was called safe at second base on the fielder's choice, allowing Cullen to score from third and keep the inning alive. Chris Ayers followed with a two-run single and Landon Prentiss an RBI single to make it 6-0.
The Spartans started their rally in the fourth. John Rasberry doubled to right field for the Spartans' first hit. Two batters later, Brandon Hairston knocked him in with an RBI single.
NSU added three more in the fifth, cutting its deficit to 6-4. Sammy Serafine led off with a double inside the first-base bag, then advanced to third on Taylor's second single of the day. Cameron Parsons scored Serafine with an RBI double, and Taylor scored on a wild pitch by VCU starter David Benson. John Lynch capped the rally with an RBI groundout.
Serafine doubled again in the seventh and scored on a double by Rafael Colon to make it 6-5. Lynch knotted the game at 6-all with his second RBI groundout of the day.
Dylan Auker (1-0) – the third of six Rams' pitchers – got the win by pitching two-thirds of an inning in relief. Brennan Huelse and Chris Shaklee combined to work a scoreless eighth, then Jonathan Watson earned the save with a scoreless ninth.
NSU starting pitcher Ryan VanAssche got a no-decision. Despite allowing the six runs in the third, he did not allow another run, pitching seven innings and striking out six. Morton gave up one unearned run in two innings of work to take the loss.
Hairston and Taylor both went 2-for-3, while Serafine and Parsons both went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
The Spartans are back in action this weekend, hosting Hofstra for a four-game series. The teams play a doubleheader Saturday starting at 1 p.m. and another on Sunday starting at 1 p.m.
