NORFOLK, Va. (Interstat) — Jaydan Israel scored on a bases-loaded balk in the bottom of the 10th inning Thursday, capping a Norfolk State rally from a five-run deficit to defeat Coppin State 7-6 in a Northeast Conference baseball opener marked by stellar relief pitching and a late defensive collapse.

The Spartans (11-16, 1-0 NEC) won their fourth straight, while the Eagles (4-20, 0-1) let a potential conference road victory slip away in agonizing fashion at Bud Metheny Baseball Complex.

The decisive sequence began with one out in the 10th. Coppin State reliever Keith Wallace hit Israel with a pitch. After a flyout, Wallace then hit Josiah Harrison and walked Cam Mazell to load the bases. With Kydese Queen at the plate, Wallace was called for a balk, allowing Israel to trot home from third with the winning run.

The ending overshadowed a magnificent performance from Norfolk State reliever Yasseel Samboy, who earned the win with four shutout innings. He allowed just three hits, struck out five and walked none, extinguishing multiple Eagles threats to preserve a 6-6 tie. Over his last four appearances, Samboy has now pitched nine scoreless innings, allowing just two hits.

Coppin State had seized control early, battering Spartans starter Donovan Whitfield. In the first, Pedro Agosto singled and Armando Hurtado followed with a two-run homer. The Eagles added two more in the second on a sacrifice fly from Noah Hogan and an RBI single from Agosto, building a 4-0 lead.

After Harrison got Norfolk State on the board with a solo homer in the bottom of the first, Agosto answered with a solo shot of his own in the fifth. A sacrifice fly by Jordan Treadwell later in the inning pushed the Coppin State advantage to 6-1.

The game turned dramatically in the bottom of the sixth. Trailing 6-2, the Spartans sent 10 men to the plate against Eagles starter Jake Cumming and reliever Mekenna Wakakuwa. A sacrifice fly by Queen and a two-run double by Hunter Gillespie keyed the inning, which was prolonged by a walk and a hit batter. The tying run crossed when a wild pitch from Wakakuwa allowed Gillespie to score, completing the five-run frame and knotting the game at 6-6.

From there, the bullpens dominated. Following Samboy’s heroics for Norfolk State, Coppin State received three and one-third perfect innings of relief from Justin Ritz, who struck out one after entering in the sixth. The Eagles’ offense, however, squandered opportunities, stranding two runners in the eighth and leaving the go-ahead run in scoring position in the ninth.

The Eagles out-hit the Spartans 12-8, with Agosto leading the way by going 4 for 5 with a home run, two RBIs, three runs scored and a stolen base. Hurtado added two hits, including his two-run homer.

For Norfolk State, Gillespie went 2 for 5 with two RBIs, and Harrison’s solo homer began the Spartans’ comeback.

The most critical phase of the game was the bottom of the sixth inning. Coppin State, holding a commanding 6-1 lead, saw its pitching and defense unravel. The Spartans capitalized with five runs on three hits, two walks, a hit batter, a critical error and a wild pitch. This explosive inning completely shifted the momentum, erasing the Eagles’ large cushion and setting the stage for the extra-inning finish.

The teams continue their three-game NEC series Friday afternoon.