March 2, 2014
Final Stats | Photo Gallery 
LEXINGTON, Va. - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team put together a valiant effort in today's contest against Buffalo, but their work came up just short, as the Hawks fell to Buffalo, 5-3, in 10 innings at Gray Minor Stadium. The match was the final for UMES in the VMI Tournament, where the Hawks went 0-3. UMES was originally scheduled to play VMI later in the day, but inclement weather forced the cancellation of the tournament's last game.
UMES (0-8) and Buffalo (6-1) locked up in a scoreless affair over the first three innings. Buffalo would finally get on the board with two runs in the fourth, but the Hawks would score three in the fifth to take a one-run lead.
Freshman Chris Adams (Brentwood, Md.) walked to open the inning and moved over a single by junior Joshua James (Milford, Del.). The pair moved up a base on a sacrifice by senior Stephen Bull (Millsboro, Del.), before sophomore Mike Escanilla (Waldorf, Md.) scored Adams with an RBI groundout. James scored on an error by Buffalo the next batter and UMES tallied its third run after an RBI triple to right by junior Greg Turlik (Gaithersburg, Md.) scored senior Byron Campbell (Waldorf, Md.).
Freshman Philip Berry (Milford, Del.) was pulled after the fourth and was replaced by junior Chipper Smith (Florence, S.C.). Smith pitched to two hitters, before being replaced by senior Bernard Parker (Waldorf, Md.). Parker shut the door on the Bulls by retiring the next three hitters to keep UMES ahead.
Parker allowed a single tally in the sixth, but would follow with two scoreless innings. The Hawks and Bulls remained tied into the ninth, but the Bulls made things interesting the bottom of the ninth. Buffalo had the winning run on second base with two outs, but junior Michael Epps (Pottstown, Pa.) bared down to induce a flyout to centerfield.
Epps was saddled with the loss after allowing a two-run homer to Mike Scarcello in the bottom of tenth.
Campbell led the Hawks with a 2-for-5 performance to up his consecutive games of being on-base to seven. Turlik had two hits and one RBI, while freshman Justin Dattilo (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and sophomore Connor Breslin (Saylorsburg, Pa.) each had one. Escanilla swiped the lone bag for UMES in the game. Parker was great for the Hawks in relief with four innings, three hits and one run.
Matt Pollock was 3-for- 4 in the game, but it was the effort of Scarcello that was the difference for the Bulls. The shortstop had three hits, including the game winner and finished with four RBIs. Buffalo outhit UMES, 10-7, in the event to make up for three errors in the field.
UMES returns to action this week when the Hawks travel to Mount St. Mary's to take on The Mount at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4.
For complete recaps, results and news of Hawk athletics, please visit www.umeshawks.com
