NORFOLK, Va. – Despite tying its season high with 18 hits, Norfolk State couldn't muster a win against Maryland Eastern Shore on Sunday afternoon. The Spartans lost to UMES 17-8 in the final game of the series.
 
NSU opened the game with fire. Spartans pitcher Justin Walton struck out back-to-back Hawks hitters to get out of the first frame unscathed. Unfortunately for NSU, it would be the only scoreless inning of the day for UMES.
 
Leadoff hitter Brandon Cleveland wasted no time getting on base for the Spartans, before consecutive hits by Raphy Rodriguez and Dionte Brown got Cleveland across the plate for the first lead of the game. Jacob Council drove Brown home moments later, and Tanner Brandon scored Council soon after. An RBI single by Steven Shaffer capped off the Spartans' 4-run first inning.
 
The lead wouldn't last long, though, as the Hawks responded with four runs of their own in the second inning to tie things up. The Spartans got two players on base in the bottom half of the inning, but couldn't convert for any runs.
 
UMES took its first lead of the game in the third inning when Ryan Howe scored off Walton's throwing error on a failed pickoff attempt. The Hawks tacked on two more in the fourth, expanding the cushion to three. Another pair of RBI singles by Brown and Council, pulled NSU back within one at the bottom half of the inning.
 
After two more Hawks scored in the top of the fifth when Noah Wiggins replaced Walton, NSU third basemen Tommy Woods notched his first run of the game off a passed ball. Jackson Sanchez came in for Wiggins in the sixth inning, giving up a pair of unearned runs that put the Hawks ahead by five.
 
Despite the deficit never trimming below four the rest of the day, NSU nearly turned the whole game around in the bottom of the seventh inning. Council singled home Cleveland to make the score 12-8, and Brandon took the plate with the bases loaded and two outs on the board. Brandon launched one to the centerfield wall, with the UMES fielder making the tough catch in stride to extinguish three or more potential Spartan runs.
 
UMES added four runs in the eighth inning to put the game out of reach, before putting up one more in the ninth.
 
Several NSU players put up efficient hitting performances despite the score discrepancy. Rodriguez finished the day with four hits on six at bats, and Council went a career-best 5-of-6 with three RBIs at the plate as well. Brown added three hits and two RBIs, while Woods and Cleveland posted two hits apiece. Despite the strong hitting numbers, the Spartans left 14 men on base Sunday.
 
The loss dropped NSU to 12-27 on the season, 9-15 in MEAC play. The Spartans will return to Marty L. Miller Field on Friday at 3 p.m. to open a four-game homestand against Delaware State.