NORFOLK, Va. – Cody Ellis hit the walk-off RBI single with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, completing the Spartans' rally as Norfolk State edged Maryland Eastern Shore 7-6 on Sunday afternoon at Marty L. Miller Field.

The win gave the Spartans (6-16, 3-3 MEAC) the victory in the rubber game of the weekend MEAC series with UMES (4-14, 2-4).

NSU never led in the game until scoring the winning tally in the ninth. Trailing 6-5 entering the bottom of the ninth, pinch hitter Killian Strenn hit a one-out double off UMES reliever Chipper Smith and scored the tying run when Ross Cardwell followed with a double of his own. Smith then walked Zach Markel to put runners on first and second bases, and the Hawks opted to bring in Bernard Parker on the mound. But Ellis greeted Parker with a flare down the left-field line that easily scored pinch runner Noah Johnson from second with the winning run.

The Hawks controlled things most of the way against the Spartans. UMES scored three times in the third and two more in the fifth to take a 5-0 lead. In the third, Justin Dattilo hit an RBI single and Connor Breslin added an RBI double to highlight the inning. In the fifth, Joshua James' two-out, two-run single pushed the Hawks' advantage to 5-0.

NSU, held without a hit in the first four innings by UMES right hander Will Turley, finally broke through in the fifth. Singles by Cameron Day, Cardwell and Justin Burrell, coupled with a trio of Hawk errors, allowed NSU to push across five runs and tie the game. Ellis, Justin Lee and Chase Kyriacou had RBI in the inning.

But the Hawks answered in the top of the sixth and quickly retook the lead. Stephen Bull and Mike Escanilla led off with consecutive singles and Byron Campbell walk to load the bases. Dattilo followed with a sacrifice fly to score Bull with the go-ahead run, though Josh Vales, the third Spartan pitcher of the game, got out of the jam without further damage.

That would prove to be key as Vales and winning pitcher Devin Hemmerich combined to pitch four scoreless innings of relief to keep the Spartans within striking distance. UMES out-hit NSU 13-7, but the Hawks stranded 13 runners on base.

Hemmerich (1-2) got the win with two scoreless innings of relief. He allowed two hits and struck out two. Hemmerich pitched five scoreless innings in the series, earning a save and a win against the Hawks.

Smith (0-4) took the loss, allowing two runs and three hits in 3.2 innings.

Escanilla was 3-for-4, while Campbell, Breslin and James had two hits each for the Hawks.

Cardwell was 2-for-5 for NSU.

The Spartans host William & Mary at 4 p.m. Wednesday.