NORFOLK, Va. – A four-run rally in the home half of the third inning led Norfolk State to a 9-2 win against the Lancers Tuesday at Marty L. Miller Field.
Norfolk State (17-23) picked up three doubles in the third inning as part of a game-changing four-run frame that was the difference against Longwood (14-29).
Seth Hockett (2-1) picked up the win for Norfolk State. Hockett held Longwood to two runs on four hits and three walks with five strikeouts. Joey Santos held Longwood scoreless over his 4.0 innings of work, picking up the save, his fifth of the year.
Jon Peterson (0-1) suffered the loss for the Lancers after allowing five runs, four earned, on six hits in 2.2 innings of work.
Tommy Green put on a show out of the bullpen. A native of nearby Virginia Beach, Va., at Norfolk State the freshman Green struck out six batters in 4.0 innings of work with no walks issued.
At the plate
Sammy Miller and
Justin Mitchell each reached base twice with doubles. Miller went 1-for-3 with a double, one walk, and a pair of runs scored. Mitchell was also 1-for-3 with a double, and one walk, scoring once and also picking up an RBI. Mitchell's day extended his streak of consecutive games reached base to 15, tied for the longest by a Lancer this season. Miller also put together a 15-game reached base streak and Mitchell had a previous stretch during which he reached in 15 consecutive games.
Norfolk State jumped out to the first lead of the day in the home half of the first inning. Spartans lead-off man Justin Hayes started the frame with a single back up the middle. On a throw over to first base, Hayes took off on first move and swiped second to get in scoring position with no outs. After a ground ball moved Hayes to third, a deep fly ball to left by Aaron Robinson brought in Hayes on a sacrifice fly.
Longwood got the run back in the third with well-executed small ball. Miller, Longwood's lead-off man, walked on four pitches to start the frame, upping his team lead in on-base percentage. After moving to third on a ground out, Miller scored on a sacrifice bunt pushed up the first base line by
Grant Keller to tie the game at one.
Hayes caused problems for the Lancers again in the bottom of the third. With one out the speedy lead-off hitter put down a bunt, pushed past the mound for a single. Hayes again went from first to second on a throw over to first, but a throwing error allowed him to take third. The next man up was Alsander Womack, who gave Norfolk State a 2-1 lead with an RBI double to left. Robinson followed with a second RBI double to left in the frame, making it a 3-1 Norfolk State advantage. Two batters later Tony Leite doubled to left and made it a 4-1 Norfolk State lead on the three-run inning. With runners on the corners after a passed ball and a hit batter, Norfolk State added to the lead with a double steal.
The Lancers got back on the board in the fifth by putting together their own string of doubles. Miller picked up a one-out double, spraying a liner down the left field line, followed by a rocket off the bat of Mitchell that reached the right field wall for an RBI double and cut the deficit to three.
Norfolk State tacked on to the lead with a three-run frame in the seventh, pulling away from the Lancers late.
Longwood continues non-conference action with a weekend set at Navy. The series begins with a doubleheader Saturday and concludes with a single game Sunday. First pitch Saturday is set for 1 p.m.
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