April 25, 2009
Box Score
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - Bethune-Cookman scored at least one run in 12-of-16 innings to sweep a doubleheader from the University of Maryland baseball team, 12-2 and 15-3, at Hawks Stadium Saturday.
BCU pitchers held the UMES offense to 11 hits in the two games as Eric Thomas (6-3) threw seven strong innings, allowing just two hits, two walks and an unearned run to secure the game-one victory. Ali Simpson (6-2) followed that up with six innings of three-hit ball to complete the sweep.
The wins for the Wildcats (23-21, 13-1 MEAC) stop a two-game losing streak, while the losses for the Hawks (11-34, 9-8) extend their skid to four games; UMES is winless in nine of its last 10.
Sophomore shortstop Remo Orsini (Elkton, Md.) was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in game one. Elliott Alson (Littleton, Colo.) also came on as a pinch hitter and third baseman to pick up a hit and a run in two at-bats.
In the second game, Troy King (Baltimore, Md.) was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs. Senior left fielder Pat Hercinger (Papillion, Neb.) was a combined 2-for-6 with an RBI and a run on the day.
BCU designated hitter Ryan Durrence homered in both games and was 4-for-7 with five runs and seven RBIs. First baseman Alejandro Jimenez was 3-for-5 with a home run, three runs and two RBIs in the second game.
UMES trailed, 2-1, after the first inning of game one. The Wildcats opened with a Durrence RBI groundout to second, scoring Mark Brooks and added another when Orsini bobbled a ball at short which allowed C.J. Lauriello to come around with two outs.
Phil Vaughn (Clinton, Md.) led off the UMES first with a single to center field and Orsini followed with a bunt single of his own, Hercinger moved the runners with a ground ball on the right side of the infield before Vaughn was erased at third on a fielder's choice off the bat of Russel Deutchmann (Baden, Ontario). The Hawks' though, benefitted from an error by shortstop Alejandro Sanchez as Orsini cut the lead to one.
From there, Thomas retired 10 consecutive UMES batters, a string that came to a close in the fifth inning on a walk to catcher Ben Vasko (San Diego, Calif.).
Up, 6-1, in the seventh, Bethune came up with three run to push it to a eight-run advantage at 9-1.
Jeremy Davis began the frame with a double to right and Drew Clark followed with a single, putting runners on first and third. Sanchez cashed in on the opportunity when he lined a double to left center to score both.
That spelled the end of the day for Hawks' starter Matt Witte (Westminster, Md.). Witte (2-3) took the loss and gave way to John DesChamps (Virginia Beach, Va.) after six-plus innings. He surrendered nine runs on 10 hits and five walks but struck out seven.
DesChamps allowed a one-out sacrifice fly to Brooks to left for the final run of the inning.
The Hawks' second run of the contest came in the eighth off reliever Matt Crane to cut the lead to 11-2. Alston pinch hit for King and lined a base hit to left. Josh Dunham (Des Moines, Iowa) then hit for Tyler Love (Palmyra, Pa.) and drew a walk.
After a popup, Orsini walked to load the bases with one out. Hercinger then chased Alston home with a RBI single to right.
Durrence hit a solo shot to left center in the ninth off Jervonta' Wright (Salisbury, Md.) to account for the final margin.
BCU outhit UMES, 16-6, in the opener.
The Wildcats' offense kept rolling in game two. Bethune led, 6-2 in the fourth before exploding for nine runs in the fifth and sixth for the win.
The Hawks got single runs in the third, fourth, and seventh. King put UMES on the scoreboard with a one-out single up the middle, plating Michael Guy (Lake Ariel, Pa.) to make it 5-1in the third and Hercinger scored on a two-out wild pitch in the fourth.
UMES' third run came with two outs in the ninth. King came through again with an RBI single to score freshman pinch hitter Shaquille Bagwell (Atlantic, Va.).
Deutschmannn (1-7) absorbed the game-two loss, going four innings. He gave up 10 hits and nine runs with a walk and three strikeouts.
The teams close the series with a single game at noon on Sunday.
