Box Score WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Ross Cardwell hit the go-ahead RBI single in the top of the seventh inning, and the Norfolk State bullpen held the potent William & Mary offense scoreless over the last three innings as the Spartans notched a 3-2 win over the Tribe on Wednesday night at Plumeri Park.

The Spartans (10-18) never trailed, yet had to hold off several late scoring opportunities by the Tribe (20-12). The game wasn't in hand until freshman left hander Devin Hemmerich got Tribe designated hitter Charley Gould to ground into a double play for the final two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

NSU got on the board quickly with three straight one-out hits in the top of the first. Andre' Moore had the first, a single up the middle with one out. He advanced to second on Cardwell's single through the right side. Moore scored from second on Zach Markel's single to center field.

The Tribe tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. Ryder Miconi led off with a double off Spartan reliever Cooper Jones. Miconi later scored on Kevin Nutter's groundout.

The Spartans answered that tally with a run of their own in the top of the fifth. Cody Ellis walked to lead off the frame, advanced to second on a wild pitch by Daniel Powers and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Tyon Ore. Ellis then scored on another wild pitch by W&M reliever John Yoest (0-1).

W&M knotted the game at 2-all on Ryan Hissey's solo homer off Jones to lead off the bottom of the sixth, but NSU regained the lead in the top of the seventh. Ellis reached on the third W&M error of the game to start the inning.  He moved to third on another sacrifice by Ore and Justin Lee's groundout. After Yoest walked Moore, Cardwell delivered a clutch two-out single to left to give the Spartans a 3-2 advantage.

Junior right hander Josh Vales pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh for NSU, but had to work around a walk and a hit batter by coaxing a pair of flyouts to end the threat.

Hemmerich relieved Vales in the bottom of the eighth. After retiring the first two batters, he walked Miconi and hit pinch hitter Devin White with a pitch. Hemmerich ended the threat by getting Nutter to fly out to center.

Hemmerich also skirted trouble in the bottom of the ninth. He hit Ryan Lindemuth to start the inning, and after a fielder's choice accounted for the first out of the inning, W&M clean-up hitter Michael Katz singled to third base to put two runners on with one out. Hemmerich then got Gould to ground into a 4-6-3 double play to end the game and break NSU's four-game losing streak to the Tribe.

Troy Applin (1-0) earned the win with a scoreless inning of work out of the bullpen. He relieved Jones after Hissey's game-tying homer in the sixth and allowed just one hit before escaping further damage. Hemmerich earned his third save of the year with two scoreless innings of work, including one strikeout.

Cardwell was 2-for-4 for NSU. Ellis went 1-for-3 with two runs scored. He reached base three times.

Yoest took the loss, allowing one unearned run in 2.2 innings pitched.

W&M managed just six hits off NSU's five pitchers, with Miconi (3-for-3) and Hissey (2-for-4) accounting for all but one of those. The first five hitters in the W&M lineup combined to go just 1-for-16 for the Tribe, who entered the week ranked second in Division I in batting average (.336) and third in runs per game (9.4).

The Spartans jump back into MEAC play with a three-game series at Maryland Eastern Shore this Saturday and Sunday.