BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – The Norfolk State baseball team dropped the first two games of its conference series at LIU by scores of 11-5 and 14-6.
 
Brendan Burke provided the most powerful moment of the day for the Spartans, launching a grand slam homer in game two.
 
Inclement weather on Saturday's forecast forced the teams to play a doubleheader on Friday afternoon. The Spartans (7-15, 4-4 NEC) couldn't hold off a pair of fiery offensive performances from LIU (6-13, 5-3), who amassed 20 hits across the two games.
 
The Sharks got off to quick starts in both games. After two scoreless innings in the first matchup, Jake Mastillo hit a grand slam in the third to get LIU rolling fast.
 
The Spartans produced a four-run sixth inning, though, to even things up. A pair of leadoff walks got Norfolk State moving, before Jamal Ritter drove in multiple runs with a single to center field. Manny Jackson tied the game moments later with another crucial hit, scoring Swaroop Pujari from second base.
 
LIU bounced back in the bottom half of the inning. After two players were hit by pitches, Benjamin Fierenzi fired a two-RBI double to right field, giving the Sharks a 6-4 advantage.
 
LIU added four runs on three hits in the seventh inning. Norfolk State added a run in the ninth, but couldn't muster a comeback effort.
 
The third inning cost the Spartans again in the second game of the afternoon. LIU logged seven hits, capped by a three-run homer from Fierenzi to take a 7-0 lead.
 
Norfolk State's trouble on the mound continued in the fifth inning. Ryan Jack knocked a three-run homer to left field to headline another strong frame for LIU, increasing the gap to 12.
 
Trailing 14-0 entering the ninth inning, the Spartans showed no signs of giving up. Manny Jackson, Cam Mazell, and Raphael Rodriguez produced successful at-bats to load the bases for the Spartans before Pujari got NSU on the board with a single to right field.
 
Ritter worked a walk to bring in another run, causing LIU to change pitchers. The move did not prove effective, as Burke cleared the bases with a homer down the right field line on the very next at-bat.
 
The burst cut the LIU advantage to 14-6, but the Sharks got the out they needed shortly after to close out the second game.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Spartans will have a chance to return New York with a victory, playing the series finale against LIU on Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
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