April 2, 2010

Box Score | Photo Gallery

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team built an 8-0 lead after four innings against Delaware State but the Hornets scored nine unanswered runs to defeat the Hawks, 9-8, in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference baseball action at Hawks Stadium Friday.

Delaware State (5-16, 1-0 MEAC) tied the game with four in the seventh off right-handed senior relief pitcher Cameron Zimmerman (Harrisburg, Pa.) after chipping away at the deficit with a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth, respectively, to spoil a solid six-inning outing from junior Matt Witte (Westminster, Md.).

Zimmerman failed to record an out as he gave up a solo home run to DSU's Abe Eubank and proceeded to load the bases on a single and two walks.

Freshman Tony Gonzales (New Braunfels, Texas) replaced Zimmerman and induced a Joey Babuca fly ball to right field that Donnie Haines (Carneys Point, N.J.) dropped, allowing two to come in and make it an 8-7 game. After Gonzales struck out Elliott Gardner for the first out of the inning, Jose Portela evened things with a sacrifice fly to right, plating Mike Rizzuto.

Tony Gatto then delivered a one-out RBI double to the gap in left center, scoring Eubank from first for the winning run.

Witte allowed four hits and four runs in his 99-pitch outing. He walked five and struck out three.

UMES (1-22, 0-3) tagged Hornets' starter Zach Adkins for six runs in the first, the Hawks' most in an inning this season. Up 1-0, junior Elliott Alston (Littleton, Colo.) staked his team to a 3-0 advantage, blasting a 2-1 pitch over the wall in right center for his first home run of the year. After a Bryan Chaikowsky (Bethlehem, Pa.) walk, Nick Wiggins (Littleton, Colo.) singled for first and third and one out. Haines then singled to right field to score Chaikowsky and Luis Mena (Cape Coral, Fla.) followed with an RBI double to chase home Wiggins.

The Hawks opened a six-run bulge when Adkins uncorked a wild pitch and Haines scored from third.

Alston doubled down the left-field line in the fourth to make it 7-0, scoring J.J. Corriveau (Hollywood, Fla.) from first. Corriveau reached on an error by Eubank.

Chaikowsky then struck out but reached first on a wild pitch. With runners on first and third, Chaikowsky stole second and moved to third when catcher Babuca's throw went into the outfield. Alston scored on the play.

Adkins lasted six innings. He gave up all eight UMES runs (six earned), struck out seven and walked four in 114 pitches.

Eubank got Delaware State on the scoreboard in the fifth with an RBI double, scoring Keith Hernandez and Gatto added a sac fly later in the inning. Gardner pulled DSU to within 8-4 with a one-out two-run homer to left center in the sixth.

Derek Marshallsea (1-0) and Portela picked up the win and save, respectively, combining to one-hit UMES for the final three innings. It was Portela's first save of the season after going 1-for-5 with a double and RBI at the plate.

Gonzales (0-1) shouldered the loss, pitching three innings, allowing one run, three hits, and a walk. He also fanned four.

UMES outhit DSU, 11-9, led by Alston's 2-for-3 performance with the homer, double, three RBIs and two runs scored. In all, four players had two hits each and seven scored runs for UMES.

Eubank had a game-high three hits with three runs scored and a pair driven in in the win.

The teams close the series with a doubleheader Saturday starting at noon.