Norfolk State beats Virginia State in the “Battle for Big State” baseball game

HAMPTON, VA (WTKR) – Norfolk State and Virginia State both have a long baseball history, and those who left their fingerprints on their respective programs showed off their skills on Saturday night.

The second annual Battle for Big State charity baseball game for alumni was held at War Memorial Stadium, pitting alumni of the Spartans against those of VSU. Hundreds of fans came to support those who had previously competed for the college teams and were returning to represent their programs.

Virginia State took the lead first in the second, but Norfolk State answered with two runs in the second half of the inning to take the lead. The Spartans pitched the loudest inning of the night, scoring five runs in the third to extend their lead to 7-1.

The Trojans scored three runs in the sixth, but the Green and Gold held them off and took the 10-4 victory, avenging the Spartans’ 17-14 loss last year.

Matthew Boone is the event’s executive director and a former Norfolk State baseball player. He hopes the Battle for Big State will be fun for the players, a treat for the fans and put a spotlight on HBCU baseball.

“The main message of the game is to showcase minority baseball prowess and to show that you can get a great education at an HBCU,” Boone said Friday. “You can build great relationships, build great networks and take advantage of all the resources that you get at some of the other larger schools.”

Boone says there will be an announcement regarding next year’s event in the near future.