NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State showed fight in a home loss to Old Dominion on Tuesday afternoon, falling 12-8 to the Monarchs at Marty L. Miller Field.

Keeping the starters on rotation for the weekend, Norfolk State strung together nine innings from a multitude of relievers. Freshman Myles Crocker opened the game on the mound, allowing one run in his lone frame.

Norfolk State produced runners on the corners with its first two batters, but the Spartans came up empty handed. A hit-and-run situation backfired for a popup double play, before ODU got out of the inning with a groundout to starting pitcher Jayce Park.

Yasseel Samboy entered the game from there, putting together a scoreless second inning. Norfolk State tied things up in the following opportunity, thanks to a double down the line from shortstop Terrence Rhodes.

Donovan Whitfield pitched the third inning, struggling to keep the ball in the strike zone. The Monarchs put six more runs on the board, taking firm control of the contest.

After taking the reins midway through the third inning, Liam Royster recorded three strikeouts for a scoreless fourth frame. Mac Yarbrough took the mound for the fifth inning, giving up two runs – one earned – as ODU took advantage of a defensive mistake to take a 10-1 lead.

Keen baserunning helped the Spartans get one across the plate in the bottom of the fifth. Jamal Ritter stole home while Kydese Queen took second, pulling off the double steal.
Freshman Nyenati Snoh put together the best day of any pitcher on the Spartan rotation. The Chesapeake native put two zeroes on the scoreboard, giving up just one walk and no hits in two innings of action.

Norfolk State kept fighting, putting together a rally in the bottom of the seventh inning. Jalan Jones and Justin Journette got on base and advanced on a wild pitch, setting up a two-RBI single from Ritter.

Kydese Queen brought Ritter home with a double to right center, before Curry added another run with a double to the outfield wall. Old Dominion finally got out of the inning with an infield lineout, but the Spartans had cut the gap to 10-6 with the four-run surge.
 
ODU added two runs to the cushion in the eighth inning, but the Spartans responded with a score in the bottom half of the frame. A bases loaded walk gave Norfolk State its seventh run of the afternoon, but the Spartans stranded three baserunners from there to keep the deficit at 12-7.
 
Tyler Mitchell found a groove in the ninth, pitching a 1-2-3 inning to give the Spartans one last shot. Robert Beatty and Brendan Burke got on base to open the inning, before Jones logged a single to keep the momentum going and bring in a run.
 
ODU pitcher Tyler Stott steadied from there, striking out Journette and forcing a game-ending fly ball to right field in Ritter's final at-bat.
 
CHECKING THE BOX SCORE

• Norfolk State pitcher Myles Crocker (0-1) received the loss on Tuesday
• ODU reliever Alex Hunt (2-0) earned the win
• Norfolk State outhit ODU 12-8
• The Spartans walked 12 batters, while ODU walked six
• Freshman Nyenati Snoh pitched 2.0 scoreless innings for the Spartans
• NSU sophomore Kydese Queen went 4-of-5 at the plate with a double and an RBI

NOTES

• Norfolk State dropped to 1-23 on the season
• ODU improved to 10-20 with the win

ON DECK
 
Norfolk State hits the road to get back into the conference swing, starting with a Friday matchup at Coppin State at 3 p.m.

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