NORFOLK, Va. – St. Peter's got the best of Norfolk State in a see-saw affair Saturday evening, using a five-run ninth inning and then holding off a late Spartan rally in a 16-14 decision at Marty L. Miller Field.

The Spartans (3-7) broke an 11-11 tie with a single run in the bottom of the eighth inning and were within one strike of victory in the top of the ninth. But a bases-loaded walk tied the game before Tyler Smith hit a go-ahead grand slam to give St. Peter's a 16-12 lead.

The Spartans didn't go quietly. Raphael Rodriguez hit a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the ninth to draw NSU within 16-14. A walk to Jalan Jones put the tying run on base before the Peacocks got a lineout to end it.

The nail-biting finish was fitting given the back-and-forth nature of the game. SPU scored four in the top of the first, two on the first of two two-run home runs by Ashby Vining. But the Spartans quickly answered with five runs on five hits in the bottom of the first. Jones hit a two-run triple and Brendan Burke drove him in with a single to put the Spartans up, 5-4.

Vining hit another two-run shot in the third, but NSU again had the response. Three walks loaded the bases before Collin Curry tied the game with an RBI single. Manny Jackson pushed the Spartans back in front with a sacrifice fly.

After the Peacocks struck for two runs in the top of the fourth to momentarily retake the lead, the Spartans surged back in front with four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Swaroop Pujari walked to lead off the inning before Cam Mazell, Camrin Sturgeon and Rodriguez hit three straight singles to put NSU back into the lead. Jones followed with his second RBI triple of the day to highlight the four-run outburst and put the Spartans up, 11-8.

Tyler Cotten's RBI double capped a three-run seventh for the Peacocks, who tied the game up at 11-all, but NSU regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth. Sturgeon singled and took third when the Peacocks threw a bunt single by Rodriguez up the first-base line. Jones hit a sacrifice fly to score Sturgeon from third, giving the Spartans a 12-11 edge.

But SPU had a last-gasp rally. After a lead-off walk, Spartan reliever Joe Lafave struck out one batter. Following a double, Lafave fanned another hitter, his eighth punchout of the night, for the second out. Following an intentional walk to load the bases, Lafave came within inches of recording out three via a strikeout, but a close call on a 3-2 pitch resulted in a bases-loaded walk to Brendan Wilson. Smith then lofted the go-ahead grand slam to left-center.

The Spartans outhit SPU 16-14. Rodriguez went 4-for-5 with three runs scored, three RBIs and two steals. Jackson went 3-for-4, Sturgeon was 2-for-4 with four runs scored, and Jones batted 2-for-3 with four RBIs.


UP NEXT
The teams conclude their series with a noon game on Sunday. 

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