NORFOLK, Va. – Led by a career day by freshman Steven Shaffer, Norfolk State tallied double figures in runs for the second time in three games, but Richmond's offense outslugged the Spartans 22-10 in a mid-week game on Tuesday at Pitt Field.

NSU (10-20) posted 16 hits – five of the extra-base variety – and got a season-high four RBIs from Shaffer, but couldn't overcome a 12-run third inning by the Spiders (15-14).

NSU's offense came out firing. Dionte Brown led off the top of the second with a triple and scored when the next batter, Shaffer, drilled his first collegiate home run. The Spartans added four more runs on five hits in the third. After Brown smacked a two-run double, Shaffer then singled him in, and Kam Walker doubled home Shaffer to give the Spartans a 6-0 edge.

But Richmond strung together a marathon bottom of the third, sending 17 men to the plate and scoring 12 times. The Spiders had nine hits and benefitted from four walks and a hit batter in the frame. Eleven straight Spiders reached at one point.

The NSU offense kept coming, scoring four more times in its last six innings at bat. Shaffer singled in another run in the seventh and Jacob Council did the same in the eighth. Brandon Cleveland knocked in a run with a fielder's choice in the ninth.

Richmond pulled away with nine more runs in the sixth through eighth innings.

Five Spartans had two or more hits. Shaffer matched his career high with three hits, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs, a homer, two runs and a stolen base. Brown and Cleveland both went 3-for-5. Brown doubled, tripled, stole a base, scored twice and knocked in two runs.

Council and Raphy Rodriguez each added a pair of hits, and Walker contributed two RBIs.

Christian Beal went 4-for-5 with five RBIs to pace Richmond. Jason Neff scored four times, once on his own solo homer in the third.

NSU hits the road for another weekend conference series this week. The Spartans face Delaware State in a four-game set beginning Thursday in Dover.