TRENTON, N.J. – The Norfolk State baseball team split the first two games of its conference series against Wagner on Saturday at Trenton Thunder Ballpark.
 
The Spartans (9-21, 5-9 NEC) couldn't muster up enough offensive firepower in a 4-2 loss to open the series but poured in five runs in the eighth inning to take down the Seahawks (12-17, 10-4) 9-7 in a thrilling 11-inning second matchup.
 
Senior Manny Jackson tallied six hits across the two games, accumulating four RBIs for the day. The Spartans posted 13 hits in the second battle, including five doubles and a home run.
 
Wagner first baseman Mateo Matthews homered to right field to take the first lead of the afternoon, but Raphael Rodriguez responded with a solo shot to the same location in the fifth inning to tie things back up.
 
Dalton Barham pitched eight innings for the Spartans, allowing just two earned runs while racking up nine strikeouts.
 
After Justin Journette tripled to center field, Jackson gave the Spartans a 2-1 advantage with a single up the middle. Wagner evened the ballgame in the bottom of the eighth, though, and the Spartans couldn't bring Jackson home in the next half inning after a leadoff double.

Wagner took advantage of the open window, winning the game with a two-run walkoff homer in the bottom of the ninth.
 
The Seahawks struck first blood in the second game as well, tallying two runs in the second inning. Jamal Ritter got the Spartans on the scoreboard soon after, though, hitting a solo home run to right center.
 
Despite struggling to get baserunners across home plate for the previous 16 innings of play, the Spartans clicked on all cylinders in the second matchup's eighth inning. Swaroop Pujari tied the bout with a single through the right side, before Jackson and Brendan Burke mounted RBI at-bats to give Norfolk State a 6-2 advantage.
 
John Horton tallied eight strikeouts in 7.1 innings pitched for the Spartans, allowing two earned runs.
 
Wagner got two back in the bottom half of the inning, but Pujari and Jalan Jones recorded doubles in the ninth to get the Spartans one more run.
 
The Seahawks pulled within one with a string of clutch at-bats in their final chances at the plate, before a throwing error scored the tying run for Wagner. Mac Yarbrough struck out the final batter of the inning, but the teams entered extra frames tied 7-7.
 
After an empty 10^th inning, Norfolk State earned another lead in the 11^th. Jamal Ritter scored with ample baserunning, hustling home after a throw to first on a dropped third strike. Jackson added the second run on an RBI single the very next at-bat.
 
Parker Hampton picked up the win for the Spartans, giving up two hits in two innings on the mound. The Virginia Beach freshman struck out Wagner's Josiah Ross to close out the back-and-forth showdown in the 11^th frame.
 
UP NEXT
 
Norfolk State and Wagner will square off on Sunday to decide the series, with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m.
 
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