Box Score April 11, 2016 Box Score
HANOVER, Maryland - In the second day of a four game series with Coppin State, the Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team rebounded from getting swept on Sunday to win the opener Monday, 7-3. However, Coppin State overwhelmed the Hawks in the second game by a 12-6 score, forcing a split and taking the series three games to one.
Maryland Eastern Shore's record moved to 9-22 and 4-8 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Coppin improves to 8-22 and 6-6 in the MEAC. Today's games mark the halfway point of the conference season, and UMES currently sits in fourth in the Northern Division.
"Obviously we aren't where we want to be in the standings at the halfway point." Coach John O'Neil said. "But the good thing is we have another whole half of a season to fight and get ourselves into a top three position."
Sophomore Toby Hoskins (North East, Maryland) earned his first win of the season, going 6 1/3 innings of two run ball. Freshman Tom Summers (West Decatur, Pennsylvania) and senior Devin Repine (Salisbury, Maryland) contributed 2 2/3 innings in relief, conceding just one unearned run. In the nightcap, senior Will Turley (Greensboro, Maryland) was saddled with the loss.
On offense, both senior Connor Breslin (Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania) and Summers collected three hits each, with four RBI's between them. Freshman Zach Mills (Parksley, Virginia) did one better in the hit column with a 4-for-8 effort along with three runs scored and senior Mike Escanilla (Waldorf, Maryland) tallied a pair of hits and three RBIs over the two games.
O'Neil complimented both the pitchers and hitters for their efforts, particularly in the opening game victory. "Our pitchers did a great job, especially against a hot lineup in some tough situations. We also had some big hits with runners in scoring position to help get the win."
After Coppin scored a run to kick off scoring in the first game, the Hawks returned the favor in the fourth when Valdez grounded out, scoring Escanilla. The following inning Summers hit a home run to take the lead and the Hawks added two more on an error.
The score remained 4-1 Hawks until the Eagles attempted a comeback in the 7th. A run would come home on a wild pitch but Coppin would strand two in that inning. In the 8th, a walk with the bases loaded made it a one-run game, but Repine recorded a pair of strikeouts to leave the tying run at third.
Junior Jordan Wesley (Mitchellville, Maryland) reached base on a bunt in the 9th, inspiring a rally for the Hawks that helped the team pull away. Escanilla's sacrifice fly and a double by Breslin scored three runners on the way to their 7-3 win.
In the second game, Coppin took an early 1-0 lead and held that position until the 5th inning. When Jack Kraft hit his fourth home run of the series, it opened the flood gates for the Eagles who would go on to score eight times and lead 9-0.
Coppin State would tack on insurance runs in the sixth and seventh to lead 12-0, but the Hawks engaged an impressive rally to avoid the shutout. The team would score six runs thanks in part to a two RBI double from senior J.P. Black (Elkton, Maryland)-his first collegiate hit-and another two RBI double from Summers. But the comeback only cut the deficit in half, and the Eagles claimed victory.
The spirited comeback attempt was not lost on O'Neil. "We hit the ball hard but Coppin made some great plays. We had difficulty getting anything going against their stuff until the final inning, but it was too late."
The Hawks will move on to hosting Georgetown on Wednesday before traveling for an even more crucial MEAC matchup with Norfolk State in Virginia next weekend to kick off the second half of conference play.
