May 3, 2015 Box Score
DOVER, Del. - In their 2015 MEAC regular season finale, the Hawks fought thru a pitcher's duel and rallied to tie the game. But it was the Hornets who walked off on a bases-loaded walk to earn the 5-4 win. With the defeat, UMES completes its conference schedule with a record of 14-10. That mark is good for the most wins in program history as a MEAC school, and the fewest losses as a team since the 2009 season.
It was a pitcher's duel as Hawks senior Chipper Smith (Florence, S.C.) and Hornet sophomore Jaylen Zielecki virtually matched each other inning for inning. Smith evaded past a leadoff walk and a leadoff hit-by-pitch to keep his opponent off the board, and Zielecki retired 15 straight UMES batters to start the game.
Delaware State was the first team to break through in the fourth. Justin Allen, competing in his final home game as a senior, blasted a Smith fastball over the right field wall for a solo shot. The Hawks would respond in the sixth with a double from freshman Quenton Hamrick (New Castle, Del.). He would score on an RBI from sophomore Jordan Martin (Atlanta, Ga.) to tie the contest.
UMES would grab the lead in the seventh after sophomore Justin Dattilo (Pittsburgh, Pa.) raked a double to center field. Classmate Skylar Murray (Georgetown, Del.) followed with a double of his own to snatch the lead back, 2-1.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Hornets took the lead back as Zielecki, who stayed in the game as the DH after he was relieved from the mound, smashed a two-run bomb to right. DSU would tack on insurance in the eighth to make it 4-2 going into the ninth.
This series has been no stranger to late comebacks in big innings in the closing moments of a ballgame, and today was no different. After one Hawk was retired, senior Greg Turlik (Gaithersburg, Md.) hit his second homer in as many days to close the gap to one. Murray and Hamrick then reached base to set up the game tying play. Junior Connor Breslin (Saylorsburg, Pa.) fought back from an 0-2 count to punch a single past the diving third baseman, allowing pinch running freshman Grayson Trower (Chesterfield, Va.) to score.
Unable to push the go-ahead run across, the teams carried a 4-4 stalemate into the bottom of the ninth. The Hornets mounted a rally of their own, and with the bases loaded, the Hawks surrendered a walk that allowed the winning run to score. Hornet senior David Kimbrough was credited with the game-winning RBI to cap off his home career.
Darrien Riggins, who stymied the Hawks' rally in the ninth, gets the win to improve to 1-1 and UMES senior Devin Repine (Salisbury, Md.) takes the loss, falling to 0-2.
Before UMES heads to the MEAC tournament in Salisbury, they have one more regular season game remaining, a road matchup with the UMBC Retrievers. Game time is set for 6:00p.m. in Catonsville.
