April 22, 2011

Box Score

NORFOLK, Va. -- Despite playing close with the Spartans in the first few innings, UMES fell in each contest in their road doubleheader to Norfolk State. The Spartans won game one 9-2 and game two 8-0 in six innings. UMES stands at 6-30 on the season.

In game one, the Spartans got a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning, but the Hawks responded in the third frame. After the Hawks got first and seconds on a pair of walks with two outs, Carmen Gurrola (Montgomery, N.Y.) singled up the middle to score Charlise Castro (Saugerties, N.Y.) to cut the deficit to one.

Norfolk State got five runs in the bottom half of the fourth, but the Hawks kept playing hard. In the following half-inning in the top of the fifth, UMES got runners on the corners with one out. Gurrola grounded into a fielder's choice, scoring Lisa Bates (Blauvelt, N.Y.) to get within five, down 7-2.

The Spartans would score two in the sixth and won 9-2 to finish game one.

The second game saw an early pitching duel, as Gurrola took the hill and started with three shutout innings, holding the Spartans to just one hit.

However in the fourth, Norfolk State broke the stalemate, scoring four runs off three hits. UMES tried to respond by were stopped by pitcher Casey Pomeroy, who allowed just three hits against the Hawks.

The home team got three runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to end the game 8-0 by mercy rule.

The Hawks will continue conference play this weekend as they make up last week's postponed series against Morgan State. The Hawks will play the Bears Friday for a doubleheader at noon followed by a single game on Sunday at the same time.