EASTON, Mass. (Interstat) — The Norfolk State Spartans and Stonehill Skyhawks meet Friday afternoon at Merkert Gymnasium in a Northeast Conference matchup, with the remnants of a rainy forecast adding an element of uncertainty.

Norfolk State (18-29) arrives after a 15-5 loss Tuesday at Virginia Military Institute, its fifth defeat in seven games. Stonehill (19-27) lost 11-1 at Bryant on Tuesday, dropping six of its last eight.

The forecast calls for 59-degree rain at game time, raising the possibility of delays or postponement.

Norfolk State’s Myles Crocker, a right-handed pitcher, will be a player to watch. Over his last four appearances, Crocker has compiled a 12.00 ERA in 6 innings, allowing 11 hits and 10 earned runs with 7 strikeouts. However, his most recent outing Tuesday was encouraging: 2 scoreless innings, no hits, 3 strikeouts. He struggled in three prior outings, surrendering 10 earned runs in 4 innings combined.

Stonehill’s Jake Lanzer, also a right-hander, enters with more consistent recent form. Over his last seven appearances, Lanzer has allowed 4 earned runs in 10 2/3 innings (3.38 ERA) with 14 strikeouts. In his five outings before Tuesday, he had not allowed an earned run across 7 1/3 innings, striking out 9. Tuesday, he threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings with 3 strikeouts.

Stonehill holds a slight edge in the standings and in Interstat projections: its game simulator projects a 4-3 Skyhawks win, and the ELO system gives Stonehill a 76.3% probability of victory.

Norfolk State’s offense has struggled recently, scoring 3 or fewer runs in six of its last nine games. In Tuesday’s loss, Thomas Ealey went 1-for-4 with 2 RBIs. Pitcher James Godfrey tossed 3 scoreless innings with 2 strikeouts.

Stonehill’s pitching staff limited Bryant to 1 run Tuesday, with Sean Connolly and Zach Brockner also contributing scoreless relief.

The two teams will meet again Saturday at the same venue. For Norfolk State, the key will be whether Crocker can build on his strong Tuesday outing; for Stonehill, Lanzer’s reliability out of the bullpen could be critical in a game expected to be low-scoring.

Weather permitting, first pitch is set for the afternoon.