NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State baseball team started strong in twice against Le Moyne on Saturday afternoon but came up short in both matchups of a doubleheader at Marty L. Miller Field.
 
Le Moyne took the opening game of the series 6-5, before winning the second 9-7.
 
Norfolk State struck first in game one with three runs in the second inning, fueled by RBI hits from Emmett Jefferson, Brayden Daulton, and Jalan Jones. Le Moyne responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning, before both teams settled into a groove on the mound.
Sophomore pitcher Ethan Blakeney produced his best outing of the season for Norfolk State, allowing just two earned runs and three hits in six innings of action. Jamal Ritter produced a two-run homer in the eighth inning to give NSU a 5-2 lead, but the Dolphins mustered three runs in the same frame to tie the game up.
 
Le Moyne loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, eventually tallying the clinching score on a one-out walk.  
 
Parker Hampton took the mound for the Spartans in game two, showing fight throughout the day. Jefferson and Robert Beatty both launched home runs in the third inning as Norfolk State jumped out to a 6-1 advantage, but Le Moyne continued to stack up baserunners.
 
The Dolphins tied the game 6-6- with a three-run fifth inning, taking the lead with a score in the sixth and building a three-run cushion in the seventh. Norfolk State loaded the bases in its final rally attempt, but came up on the unlucky end of a line-drive double play to thwart the comeback effort.
 
CHECKING THE BOX SCORE

• Norfolk State pitchers CJ Patterson (0-1) and Nyenati Snoh (0-1) received losses on Saturday
• Le Moyne pitchers Joel Connors (1-0) and Colin Skermont (1-2) earned wins
• Norfolk State outhit Le Moyne 12-6 in the first game, stranding eight players on base
• Three Spartans hit home runs across the two games: Jamal Ritter, Emmett Jefferson, and Robert Beatty
• The Spartans committed no errors in game one, making two errors in game two

NOTES

• Norfolk State dropped to 1-20 on the season, 1-10 in NEC play
• Le Moyne improved to 7-15 with the win, 6-2 in the NEC
• Jamal Ritter hit his seventh home run of the season
• Emmett Jefferson hit his first home run of the season, second of his career at NSU
• Robert Beatty hit his first career home run

 
ON DECK
 
Norfolk State and Le Moyne will conclude the series at Marty L. Miller Field on Sunday afternoon at 11 a.m.
 
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