RICHMOND, Va. – Norfolk State outhit host Virginia Commonwealth 13-6, but a four-run third inning by the Rams proved to be too much for the Spartans in a 6-4 non-conference loss on Wednesday afternoon at The Diamond.

The Spartans (0-11) got multi-hit games from Justin Hayes, Alsander Womack, Tony Leite and Syeed Mahdi while posting a season high in base hits, but VCU (5-8) used a big fourth-inning and just enough pitching from its bullpen to down the Spartans.

VCU lead-off batter Haiden Lamb led off the bottom of the first with a bunt single and advanced to second base on a throwing error on the play. He stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Daane Berezo for the game's first run.

But the big blow for NSU was a four-run third that included two walks, two hit batters and two Ram hits. After two walks and a single loaded the bases, Brett Willett's RBI single got the scoring started in the third for VCU. Mitchel Lacey and Steven Carpenter were then hit by pitches with the bases loaded in consecutive plate appearances to force in a pair of runs, and Willett later scored on a two-out wild pitch to increase VCU's lead to 5-0.

The Spartans, however, battled back in the middle innings. In the fifth, Mahdi walked and Justin Hayes reached on an infield single with two outs. Womack then doubled both runners home. The Spartans further cut into their deficit in the sixth. Leite tripled and scored on Justin Burrell's sacrifice fly to bring NSU within 5-3.

The Spartans continued to threaten in the later innings, but stranded two runners in both the seventh and eighth innings. VCU added an insurance run on Liam Hibbits' RBI double in the seventh to make it 6-3.

NSU got that run back in the ninth. Mahdi and Womack both singled off VCU closer Mac McCarty to put runners on the corners with one out. Stephen Baughan's groundout scored Mahdi, but McCarty coaxed another groundout by Aaron Robinson – who represented the tying run – to end the game.

Hayes and Womack both finished 3-for-5 for NSU, their first three-hit games of the season. Mahdi and Leite both went 2-for-3, with Mahdi scoring a pair of runs. Womack had two RBI. Seven Spartans registered at least one hit.

Lamb (2-for-3) and Hibbits (2-for-2) accounted for four of VCU's six hits.

Jarret Henderson (0-1) took the loss for NSU in his first career start. He yielded three hits and five runs, four earned, in three innings pitched.

Benjamin Dum, the third Ram pitcher of the game, picked up the win with two scoreless innings of work out of the bullpen. McCarty earned the save.

The Spartans are back home this weekend for a four-game series with Lehigh. The teams play a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday and another starting at noon Sunday.