Box Score
NORFOLK, Va. – Brandon Hairston and Blaze Zeilman both homered and combined for nine runs batted in as Norfolk State's offense erupted in a 21-14 victory over Longwood on Friday night at Marty L. Miller Field.
In a game whose score more closely resembled a football game, the Spartans (20-27) scored in seven of their eight innings at bat, including the first six.
Hairston went 4-for-5 with three RBI singles and a two-run homer, his fourth of the year. His five RBI matches a career best. Zeilman hit a three-run homer in NSU's five-run first and finished with four RBI despite leaving early due to an injury. John Lynch and James Taylor both went 3-for-4 with five runs scored, matching the highest output for a Spartan this year. Not to be outdone, John Rasberry and Ryan Montgomery had three hits apiece, and Montgomery knocked in a career-high four runs.
Longwood (28-17) scored a run in the top of the first thanks to three Spartan errors, but NSU quickly took command with a five-run first. Taylor, Lynch and Hairston led off the game with consecutive singles, with Taylor scoring on Hairston's hit. Zeilman then launched a Chris Briere (7-3) offering over the right-field fence for a three-run home run, his second of the year. Montgomery added an RBI groundout to make it 5-0.
NSU plated three runs in both the second and third innings. Hairston hit an RBI single in the second, and Lynch had one in the third as NSU took an 11-1 lead into the fourth.
Longwood would rally, scoring 10 runs in the next three innings. But NSU scored eight over the same span and led 19-11 after six innings. Hairston hit his third run-scoring single in the fifth, and Montgomery highlighted the inning with a two-run single. Longwood got within 16-11 after a five-run sixth, which including a three-run double by Adam Blankinship.
But Hairston hit a two-run homer off Brant Jones in the sixth, and Rasberry tacked on another run with an RBI single to give the Spartans the 19-11 advantage and give NSU some more breathing room. Rasberry added an RBI triple and Montgomery an RBI double in the eighth, pushing NSU over the 20-run mark for the second time this season.
The Spartans' 21 runs and 22 hits are both their second-highest tallies of the year, trailing only the 28-run, 25-hit barrage at Coppin State on Apr. 11. It also helped the Spartans break a seven-game losing streak to Longwood dating to the 2009 season.
Freshman left hander Ryan VanAssche (6-6) was the beneficiary of NSU's onslaught, picking up his team-leading sixth win of the year. He allowed 10 hits and six earned runs in 5.1 innings.
Briere, who entered with a sterling 1.89 ERA, took the loss. He allowed 16 hits and 16 runs, 12 earned, in five innings. He did help his cause with a 3-for-4, two-RBI day at the plate. Jones went 4-for-5 with four RBI for the Lancers.
Every NSU starter had at least one hit by the fourth inning. Eleven had base hits in all, including freshmen Tyon Ore and Cameron Day off the bench. Hairston also scored four times and reached the 200-hit mark for his career with the home run.
The teams conclude their brief two-game series on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. The Spartans will honor their nine seniors prior to the game, which also serves as NSU's regular-season finale.
