NORFOLK, Va. --- The Norfolk State baseball team defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 8-6 on Friday afternoon at Marty L. Miller Field.
Norfolk State improved to 19-26 overall and 15-13 in Northeast Conference (NEC) play, while Fairleigh Dickinson dropped to 29-16-1 overall and 22-6 in conference action.
Ethan Blakeney (5-4) earned the win, striking out 10 batters over seven innings.
Yasseel Samboy collected his fifth save of the season.
Justin Journette powered the Spartans offensively, going 3-for-4 with five RBIs, two home runs, and a double.
Thomas Ealey finished 4-for-5 with two runs scored, an RBI, and a double.
Hunter Gillespie added two hits, including a home run, while
Ryan Hoeft recorded three hits.
Norfolk State struck first in the opening inning.
Jaydan Israel singled before Ealey doubled to left field. Journette followed with a two-run double down the left-field line to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead.
The Spartans extended the advantage in the second inning. Gillespie singled before Ealey drove him home with an RBI single to make it 3-0. Norfolk State added two more runs in the fourth inning on solo home runs from Gillespie and Journette, pushing the lead to 5-0.
Fairleigh Dickinson answered in the fifth inning with three runs to cut the deficit to 5-3. Norfolk State responded immediately in the bottom half of the inning when
Brendan Burke lifted a sacrifice fly to score Hoeft and extend the lead to 6-3.
The Knights scored twice in the eighth inning to trim the margin to one run, but Journette delivered again in the bottom half of the frame, crushing a two-run homer to left-center field, scoring Ealey and stretching the Spartans' lead to 8-5.
Fairleigh Dickinson added one run in the ninth inning, but Samboy closed the door to secure the victory.
ON DECK
Norfolk State continues its three-game series against Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday, May 9, at 4 p.m. at Marty L. Miller Field.
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