Down to his last strike, Lafayette pinch hitter Nick Tucker tied the game with a two-out RBI single in the ninth, and the Leopards plated three runs in the top of the 10th to come away with a 6-3 win over Norfolk State on Sunday afternoon at Marty L. Miller Field.

Down in an 0-2 count against NSU closer Frankie Caldeyro, Tucker grounded a base hit through the right side, scoring Chris Luick, who had walked and stolen second base with two outs.

NSU (3-3) had a chance to end the game in the bottom of the ninth when TiQuan Griffin tripled to deep left with two outs. But Lafayette reliever Brian Mostek got John Lynch to foul out to end the inning.

Lafayette (4-2) designated hitter Joe Ezekiel led of the top of the 10th with a deep double to left off Caldeyro. Matt Hall followed with a double to right, which advanced pinch runner Matt Fenster to third. After an intentional walk to Brad Weiss loaded the bases, Fenster scored what proved to be the winning run when NSU reliever Jason Barker walked A.J. Miller on four pitches. Justin Shepherd followed with a sacrifice fly for an insurance run, and the final run of the frame scored on the fourth Spartan error of the afternoon.

Mostek (1-0), the fourth Lafayette pitcher of the day, earned the win. He pitched two scoreless innings of relief. Caldeyro (1-1) was saddled with the loss, allowing four runs, three earned, in two innings. He struck out five.

The Spartans started the game quickly. Jerrod Farley led off the bottom of the second with a long solo blast down the left field line, the Spartans’ first home run of the season. After John Boyd followed with a double to deep center, NSU took a 2-0 lead on a two-out RBI single by John Lynch.

NSU made it 3-0 in the third on an RBI single by Chris Joyce.

The Leopards cut their deficit to 3-1 in the fourth. Tom Hayes walked off Spartan starter Quinn Bright, advanced to second on a balk, to third on an NSU error, and scored on a wild pitch.

Lafayette drew within 3-2 in the seventh. Three straight singles to start the inning loaded the bases, and Hayes forced in a run with a fielder’s choice grounder. But Bright limited the damage, leaving the game after seven innings in which he allowed just one earned run and struck out five.

Hall led Lafayette with a 3-for-5 day, and Ezekiel and Luick both went 2-for-5.

Lynch and Boyd and had two hits each for the Spartans.

NSU returns to action at 3 p.m. on Wednesday against Longwood at Marty L. Miller Baseball Field.