Norfolk State scored three times in the eighth and twice in the ninth to rally for an 8-5 win over host Liberty at Worthington Stadium Wednesday, extending the Spartans’ winning streak to five games.

Trailing 5-3 entering the eighth, NSU (12-10) scored three runs to take a 6-5 lead. Billy Canady was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a single by John Lynch. After a Liberty error and a sacrifice bunt by Brad Stephenson put runners on second and third, John Boyd delivered a two-run single off Joe Steinwedell (0-1) to give NSU a 6-5 lead.

Liberty loaded the bases off Spartan relievers Quinn Bright and Joey Seal with one out in the eighth. But Seal got the final two outs of the frame without allowing any damage.

NSU added two insurance runs in the ninth. Jerrod Farley walked, stole second, went to third on a sacrifice and scored on Canady’s single. Canady later scored on Stephenson’s third hit of the day to make it 8-5.

Seal then pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to save his first game of the season.

The game was a see-saw affair the whole way. NSU took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single by Brandon Hairston. But the Flames tied it with an unearned run off NSU starter Horace Smith in the third inning. Joseph Feeley led off with a single and scored on a two-out Spartan error.

But NSU responded with two runs in the fifth. Boyd, who was 2-for-3, had an RBI single and Hairston a run-scoring groundout to put the Spartans ahead 3-1.

Trailing 3-1 in the sixth, Liberty’s Kenneth Negron led off with a single off Smith, who then hit Errol Hollinger with a pitch. Bright replaced Smith on the mound, and one out later, Cody Brown singled in Negron to bring the Flames within 3-2. Jeff Jefferson followed with an RBI single to score Hollinger and tie the game at 3-all. Both Brown and Jefferson scored on another NSU error, making it 5-3 in the Flames’ favor.

Smith pitched well in his first career start for the Spartans, but did not factor into the decision. He allowed four hits and three runs, two earned, in five-plus innings. He walked one and struck out one. Bright (3-3) earned the win by pitching 2.1 innings of relief and allowing two runs, one earned.

Steinwedell took the loss, allowing three runs, two earned, in 2.1 innings.

Boyd knocked in three runs and Hairston two for NSU. Stephenson finished 3-for-3 with three singles, two walks and a sacrifice bunt, and Lynch was 3-for-6 with two runs scored and an RBI.

Negron and Brown had two hits each for Liberty.

The Spartans host Virginia State at 3 p.m. on Thursday.