Box Score

LEXINGTON, South Carolina - In a back-and-forth game similar to Saturday's contest, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) baseball team battled the Fairleigh Dickinson (FDU) Knights in an attempt to continued their undefeated start. Both teams traded the lead in the middle innings, but the Knights came up with a little more offense late to win the game, 7-5, salvaging a game in the series and denying the Hawks a sweep.

UMES (2-1) was also denied its first 3-0 start since the 1973 season.

The Hawks were efficient today on offense just as they had been all weekend long, but were not as crisp in the field with four errors committed. "We lost a tough game today." Hawks coach John O'Neil said. "Our guys continued to battle for the full nine innings, but we gave FDU some free bases and they advantage of it."

Freshman Zach Mills (Parksley, Virginia) made his Hawk debut as the starting pitcher, and earned a respectable five inning performance, giving up two earned runs with five strikeouts. He and the opening weekend rotation of senior J.P. Black (Elkton, Maryland) and sophomore Toby Hoskins (North East, Maryland) combined for 15 innings and accumulated an ERA of 3.60 and played a big role in setting the tone for the series win.

On the offensive side, sophomore Jessey Valdez (Dorchester, Massachusetts) went 2-for-4 in today's finale to close out the opening weekend with a .417 average. Junior Dallas Culotta (Princess Anne, Maryland) homered in his first start today, and the team delivered six extra base hits overall. The Hawks also swiped four bases, led by senior Connor Breslin (Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania) with two.

Mills' outing, while effective, did not get off to the fastest start. A single and an error, followed by a double steal and compounded by a second error gave the Knights a 1-0 lead almost immediately. After another steal FDU (1-2) smacked another RBI single to lead by two after the first inning.

Things would settle down until the fourth when UMES senior Mike Escanilla (Waldorf, Maryland) reached on an error and promptly swiped second. He would score on Valdez's RBI single to cut the deficit in half. Two flyouts would follow, but a single by Breslin and junior Justin Somerville (New Windsor, Maryland) taking first on a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for sophomore Grayson Trower (Chesterfield, Virginia), who completed the two out rally with a two run single.

The 3-2 lead was short-lived, however, as the Knights clobbered a two run shot to regain the lead in the bottom half of the inning. FDU would keep that lead until the seventh, when Trower would reach after being struck by a pitch. He would score after the Knights' third baseman made an error, knotting the game at four.

However, another FDU rally would take place in the bottom of the seventh. A pair of Knights drew free passes to lead off the inning, and both batters would score thanks to a sacrifice fly and an RBI single.

That surge gave the Knights the lead for good, despite Culotta's home run in the eighth. FDU added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, then retired the Hawks in order for their first win of the year.

Although UMES lost today, the victories achieved on Friday and Saturday make this series the best opening weekend for the team in two decades. But that does not mean the team is about to rest on their laurels. "We are very happy winning two out of three, but we still have a bunch of work to do." O'Neil said.

The Hawks return to the diamond next weekend, with a tournament in Richmond, Virginia, where they will face the Saint Peter's Peacocks and the Richmond Spiders. Games will begin Friday at 10:00a.m. at Pitt Field on the University of Richmond campus.