April 2, 2011
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
DOVER, Del. - Luis Mena (Cape Coral, Fla.) drove an 0-1 pitch over the left-field fence with one on base in the top of the fifth to help the University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team take Game 2 of a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference doubleheader with Delaware State, 6-5, at Soldier Field on Saturday.
UMES (4-22, 3-2 MEAC) rebounded with the win after dropping the opener to Delaware State (12-15, 1-1), 6-0.
Mena's second blast of the season provided insurance runs that Hawks would need as the Hornets scored four times in the final two innings, threatening to claim a sweep. Instead, Matt Witte (Westminster, Md.) induced Cameron Cecil to fly out to center field with the tying run on second, ending the game.
Witte (2-3) earned his second consecutive complete-game win, going seven innings. The right-hander scattered 10 hits and five runs (four earned) with four strikeouts and two walks.
Mena batted 2-for-3 with the homer, a single, two runs scored and two driven in. Bryan Chaikowsky (Bethlehem, Pa.) and Franklin Armstrong (Trenton, N.J.) both contributed two hits to the win, while James Newsome (Mechanicsville, Md.) also had two RBI on a fourth-inning double to right-center field.
UMES fell behind early in the nightcap when Ryan Haas doubled home Scott Davis in the first inning, but battled back to tie the game on Nick Wiggins' (Littleton, Colo.) base hit through the left side that scored Mena from second in the second inning. The knock was the last of three straight in the frame as Mena, Armstrong and Wiggins all had singles.
The Hawks manufactured the go-ahead run in the fourth. Armstrong singled up the middle to lead off before Wiggins reached on catcher's interference. Elliott Alston (Littleton, Colo.) then singled to left center to load the bases. Byron Campbell (Waldorf, Md.) followed with an RBI groundout to third base for a 2-1 lead.
Two batters later, Newsome ripped the double and was out at second to end the inning, but not before Shaquille Bagwell (Atlantic, Va.) crossed the plate to extend the lead to three runs.
With UMES leading, 6-1, in the sixth, Delaware State, crept closer with a Tony Gatto RBI double and Troy Drummond two-run single to get to within 6-4.
The Hornets picked up an unearned run with two out in the seventh as Haas reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on an errant throw from shortstop followed by an Aaron Nardone double. But Witte slammed the door for the win.
Matt McClain also went the distance for DSU, taking the loss. McClain (2-4) gave up three earned runs on nine hits without a walk. He fanned seven batters.
Eddie Sorondo was 2-for-3 for Delaware State in the second game while Drummond had two RBI.
Delaware State scored twice in all three middle innings and held on for a shutout. Jordan Elliott (4-3) got the win with seven innings of four-hit baseball on the mound. He struck out six and issued one walk.
Haas finished Game 1 with three singles, two RBI and a run and Drummond was 2-for-2 with a triple and two runs.
Delaware State opened the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. The first three Hornets in the inning reached on a walk and two hits to load the bases. Cecil put DSU on the board, lifting a sacrifice fly to center. Gatto followed with a singled to shortstop to score Haas.
Drummond tripled to start the fifth and scored on a Keith Hernandez fielder's choice and the Hornets added to their lead with an unearned run to make it 4-0 in the inning.
After an unearned run in the fifth made it a 4-0 game.
Haas and Nardone had consecutive RBI hits with two out in the sixth for the final margin.
Jacob Foreman (Little Orleans, Md.) went 6.2 innings on the mound for UMES, falling to 1-5. He surrendered 10 hits and six runs (five earned) with two strikeouts and five walks.
The teams play the rubber game of the series Sunday at 1 p.m.
