RICHMOND, Va. | The Norfolk State University baseball team rallied from three-runs down early, but could not hold off Richmond in a 13-3 loss in seven innings on Tuesday afternoon at Pitt Field.
 
Norfolk State (9-39) had an opportunity to strike first in the top of the opening inning as Dionte Brown led off the game with a walk and moved to second after a Justin Journette one-out walk. Jacob Council, who went 2-for-3, with one run scored, followed with a base hit to left, but Brown was out at the plate while trying to score.
 
Richmond (23-26) took advantage in the bottom of the first, scoring three runs, highlighted by a two-run homer by Jordan Jaffe, as the Spiders took a 3-0 lead.
 
The Spartans answered in the top of the third with three runs on four hits, tying the game at 3.
 
Kam Walker, who went 2-for-2, with one run scored, reached on an infield hit to begin the frame. With one down, Raphael Rodriguez tripled to right as Walker scored. Rodriguez scored on a wild pitch and with two down, Council singled to right center. After a stolen base, Cam Mazell stroked a single to left center as Council scored.

The Spiders responded with three runs of two hits in the bottom half of the inning, pushing the advantage to 6-3.
 
Richmond extended the lead to 8-3 on a two-run homer by Alden Mathes in the bottom of the sixth.

The Spiders won the game in the bottom of the seventh, scoring five runs, for the 13-3 victory.
 
Norfolk State finished with three runs on seven hits, committed a pair of errors and left seven on base, while Richmond recorded 13 runs on nine hits, with six stranded on base.
 
Nolan Manzer (1-3) took the loss, giving up six runs on six hits, fanning three and walking one in 2.1 innings. Mac Yarbrough, Noah Wiggins and John Horton saw action out of the bullpen.
 
Brian Reinke started for the Spiders, going 2.2 innings. He surrendered three runs on five hits, struck out two and walked two. Harrison Clifton (2-2), Matthew Anderson and Dame Armson  pitched in relief.
 
UP NEXT 
Norfolk State concludes the 2023 season with a three-game Northeast Conference (NEC) series at Coppin State, beginning on Thursday in Hanover, Md.
 
Game Times vs. Coppin State
Thursday – 3 p.m.
Friday – 1 p.m.
Saturday – 12 p.m.
 
Probable Pitching Matchups vs. Coppin State
Thursday – NSU LHP Dalton Barham [1-6, 10.70 ERA] vs. CSU RHP Marcos Herrand [7-5, 5.36 ERA]
Friday – NSU RHP Zac Capps[0-6, 7.01 ERA] vs. CSU RHP Nico Felber [1-3, 3.27 ERA]
Saturday – NSU RHP Antonio Velasquez [1-6, 6.34 ERA] vs. CSU LHP Jordan Hamberg [3-4, 5.80 ERA]
 
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