Norfolk, Va. – The Le Moyne College baseball team claimed a 5-3 win over the Norfolk State University Spartans on Thursday in the first contest of a three-game Northeast Conference series at Norfolk State's Marty L. Miller Field.

Le Moyne, playing in its final series of the season, broke the 0-0 tie with four runs in the top of the fourth, then they added another run in the seventh and held on for a 5-3 win.

Left-handed starting pitcher Jacob Crystal (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) collected his third win of the campaign after limiting the Spartans to three runs with eight strikeouts in 7.0 innings of work, then right-hander Billy Hoffacker (Erial, N.J./Timber Creek/Rowan College of South Jersey) earned his third save of the campaign after conceding one hit, zero walks and zero runs with three strikeouts in the final two innings.

At the plate, shortstop Nick Nevins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) recorded a team-high two hits and a game-high two runs batted in for the Dolphins, while second baseman Adam Sullivan (Syracuse, N.Y./Marcellus) provided a game-high two runs with a hit and two walks, and left fielder Jason Boule (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) added a hit and an RBI.

Norfolk State right fielder Jalan Jones went 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run and a double for the Spartans.

The Dolphins struck out just four times during the win, which is tied for their second-lowest number of strikeouts in a game this season.

Le Moyne (20-27-1) will conclude the series and the 2024 season, its first as a member of the Northeast Conference, on Friday with a doubleheader against the Spartans beginning at 12 p.m.