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DURHAM, N.C. – Jack Labosky drew a bases-loaded walk with one out in the 10th inning to lift the Duke baseball team to a 4-3 victory over Norfolk State on Wednesday afternoon at Jack Coombs Field.

The Spartans (27-19), searching for their first-ever win over an ACC opponent in 18 tries, battled the Blue Devils (29-20) toe-to-toe all the way. Duke took a 3-1 lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, only to see the Spartans tie the game at 3-all on Alex Mauricio's two-out, two-run double in the ninth. The Spartans kept Duke at bay in the bottom of the ninth, only to fall in extra innings.

The game's ending overshadowed a stellar start from Spartan sophomore right hander Michael Parmentier, who pitched a career-high seven innings in just his third start of the season. Parmentier allowed just two hits – both in the first inning – and yielded one run while walking three and striking out five Duke batters. 

Duke struck for a run in the bottom of the first inning as Jimmy Herron led off with a double and scored on Labosky's single. But NSU tied the game in the top of the second. Tony Leite was hit by a pitch, Chase Anderson drew a walk and Chris Ford reached on a Blue Devil error to load the bases. Kevin Granger's sacrifice fly scored Leite to knot the score at 1-all.

The score would remain that way until the eighth. Parmentier settled in and did not allow a Duke hit after the first inning. He retired the final 13 batters he faced before exiting after the seventh. He struck out the side in the sixth inning.

NSU went to the bullpen and brought in Mauricio from shortstop to start the eighth. Duke plated a pair of runs on Herron's RBI double and a Spartan error following Herron's steal of third base.

But the Blue Devils could not close out NSU in the ninth. Duke reliever Mitch Stallings retired the first two Spartans in the inning. But Justin Lee singled to start the rally, and Denathan Dukes was hit by a pitch. Both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch before Mauricio doubled to the gap in left-center to score both runners, tying the game at 3-all.

NSU relief pitcher Anderson set Duke down in order in the bottom of the ninth, but ran into trouble in the 10th. Evan Dougherty led off with a single and advanced to third on a one-out single by Herron. Anderson walked Griffin Conine to load the bases before giving way to Cooper Jones, the fourth Spartan pitcher of the afternoon. Labosky worked the count full before taking ball four and forcing in Dougherty with the winning run.

Mauricio was 2-for-5 at the plate for the Spartans. Lee, Anderson, Brian Beard and Angel Rosario added singles for NSU.

Herron (3-for-5), Labosky (2-for-4) and Dougherty (2-for-3) combined for all seven Duke hits.

Anderson (5-3) was charged with the loss, as the winning run was charged to his line. He allowed two hits in 1.1 innings pitched. Stallings (3-2) got the win for Duke, allowing three hits and two runs in two innings.

Jones made his 78th career pitching appearance for the Spartans when he came in from the bullpen in the 10th inning, tying the school record held by pitching coach Joey Seal.

The Spartans are off for the next week before opening play in the 2016 MEAC Baseball Championship on Friday, May 20, in Salisbury, Md. Pairings for the six-team, double-elimination tournament will be announced Monday.