Box Score

DOVER, Delaware - Thanks to a 14 run, 14 hit outburst, the Hawks baseball team completed a series win against the Delaware State Hornets Sunday by the final of 14-5. The squad improved their record to 7-19 overall this season and pulled closer in the MEAC Northern Division standings at 3-5.

The 14 runs are the second most the Hawks have scored in a game this season, and scored thanks to 14 hits, five free passes and further aided by an uncharacteristic seven Hornet errors.

"Our guys coming to Dover and taking two out of three from the first place team was huge for our team." Coach John O'Neil said after the game. "Offensively our lineup did a great job this afternoon. Scoring five runs in the first gave us the momentum we needed."

Juniors Jordan Martin (Atlanta, Georgia) and Justin Somerville (New Windsor, Maryland) scored six of the 14 runs, while seniors Mike Escanilla (Waldorf, Maryland) and Connor Breslin (Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania) drove in three runs apiece. Somerville tallied the most hits of anyone in the Hawks lineup with four. Sophomore Jamison Trower (Chesterfield, Virginia) and Escanilla earned three hits each while Breslin registered two hits on the day.

On the mound, senior Will Turley (Greensboro, Maryland) went five innings and was effective in keeping the Hawks ahead. He would give up three earned runs with a strikeout on the way to his third win. Thanks to the timely hitting and getting key outs in several different situations, the Hawks were able to overcome five defensive errors to claim victory.

"We struggled defensively today, but our pitchers were able to pick our fielders up and pitched out of some tough situations." O'Neil said.

Maryland Eastern Shore went right to work in the first, loading the bases with nobody out. Valdez then wore a pitch to score the first run, and a double by Breslin added two more to make it 3-0. After Delaware State pulled their starter, RBIs from Summers and Jamison Trower gave the Hawks the 5-0 advantage after the first.

DSU struck back for a pair in the bottom half of the first but the Hawks capitalized on three Hornet errors in the second. Coupled with another RBI from Breslin and the visitors led 8-2.

The closest Delaware State would get from that point was the third when the Hornets added two on an RBI double. The Hawks would outscore the Hornets 6-1 from then on, including another three run burst in the fifth.

Senior reliever J.P. Black (Elkton, Maryland) and freshman Xavier Czepiel (Southhampton, New Jersey) combined for four innings, conceding just one run in relief to finish out the game.

Jaylen Zielecki led the Hornets with three hits and two RBI's and reliever Terry Godfrey pitched well with only one earned over 4 2/3 innings, but the defense was not as effective, surrendering five unearned runs while he was on the mound. Delaware State settled into a first place tie with Norfolk State at 5-3 in the MEAC with the loss.

The Hawks will host a midweek contest with in-state rival Mount St. Mary's on Wednesday at 3:00 in the afternoon, before resuming conference play at Coppin State next weekend.