RICHMOND, Va. – Brian Beard had three hits, including the tie-breaking two-run triple with two outs in the top of the 10th inning, to carry the Norfolk State baseball team to a 10-8 victory over host Richmond on Wednesday afternoon at Pitt Field.

Both teams held the lead on three separate occasions before Richmond (7-13) tied the game at 8-all in the seventh. The score remained that way until the 10th, when Beard lined the first pitch he saw from Brendan McGuigan over the first baseman's head and into the right-field corner for his second triple of the season. Beard's game-winning hit scored Alex Mauricio and Andre' Moore, who drew consecutive two-out walks from McGuigan (0-1). 

Reliever Michael Parmentier, the third NSU pitcher of the day, then worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the 10th to give the Spartans (6-12) their first mid-week victory of the season and their third straight win over the Spiders dating back to 2015.

Richmond grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Kyle Adams' two-run double off Beard, who made his second start on the mound this season. But Moore walked with the bases loaded, Beard hit an RBI single and Justin Burrell drove in a run with a fielder's choice to give NSU a 3-2 edge in the third.

The lead would be short-lived, though, as Jonathan de Marte hit an RBI double and Adams' double-play grounder scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the third.

The Spartans went back ahead 6-4 with a three-run fourth, highlighted by Mauricio's two-run double. 

Richmond tied the score at 6 with a pair of runs in the fourth, then claimed a 7-6 lead on de Marte's RBI double in the sixth.

But the Spartans weren't done, scoring twice in the seventh to regain the advantage at 8-7. Pinch hitter Robbie Depp tied the score with an RBI single and shortstop Adam Collins gave the Spartans the lead with a squeeze bunt that plated Roger Hall.

The Spiders knotted the score at 8-all by scoring a run on a two-out NSU error in the bottom of the seventh. But Parmentier (1-1) took care of Richmond from there in his longest relief outing of the season. He notched a key strikeout with runners on second and third to end the bottom of the eighth, then allowed just one more baserunner in his final two innings of work. Parmentier scattered five hits, struck out three and allowed just one unearned run without walking a batter.

Collins and Mauricio each had two hits for the Spartans. Mauricio doubled twice, knocked in two and scored a season-high three runs. Beard (3-for-6), who served as designated hitter in addition to pitching the first 3.2 innings, notched season highs in hits and RBI (three). Collins and catcher Chris Ford (1-for-3) both scored a pair of runs.

De Marte was 4-for-6 with four RBI for the Spiders.

NSU remains on the road this weekend with a three-game MEAC Northern Division series at Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md. on Saturday and Sunday.