NORFOLK, Va. --- The Norfolk State baseball team fell to cross-town rival Old Dominion 16-4 at the Ellmer Family Baseball Complex on Wednesday afternoon.
 
Norfolk State dropped to 4-15, while Old Dominion improved to 10-9. Myles Crocker (0-4) took the loss for the Spartans.
 
Jaydan Israel, Justin Journette, and Thomas Ealey each went 2-for-4 to lead Norfolk State at the plate. Israel drove in two runs, while Cameron Mazell added two RBIs.
 
Sean Harris-Walter, Ryan Sellers, and James Godfrey pitched in relief for the Spartans. Sellers tossed 3.0 innings without allowing a hit. Crocker and Harris-Walter each recorded a strikeout.
 
Ealey recorded Norfolk State's first baserunner with a single to left in the opening inning, but Old Dominion escaped the frame. The Monarchs responded in the bottom half, capitalizing on three Norfolk State errors to score four runs and take an early lead.
 
Old Dominion added six runs in the second inning on four hits to extend its advantage. Sean Stewart reached base and moved into scoring position in the third, but the Monarchs ended the threat with a strikeout.
 
The Monarchs pushed the lead to 14-0 with four runs in the third inning. Journette singled up the middle in the fourth, but Old Dominion turned a double play to end the inning.
 
Norfolk State held Old Dominion scoreless over the next two innings before breaking through offensively. Mazell delivered a two-run single to right field, scoring Stewart and Israel. The Spartans loaded the bases later in the inning, but Old Dominion recorded a strikeout and a flyout to limit the damage.
 
Old Dominion added two runs in the sixth to extend its lead. Norfolk State scored twice in the final inning, with Stewart drawing a walk and Israel following with a single. Stewart scored on an Ealey groundout, and the Spartans added another run on a bases-loaded walk before Old Dominion closed the game with a strikeout.
 
Norfolk State returns to Northeast Conference (NEC) action this weekend, hosting Delaware State at Marty L. Miller Field. The series begins Friday at 3 p.m.
 
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