Box Score

MACON, Georgia -- The Hawks baseball team opened the 2017 season by scoring a run in the first inning to grab an early edge over the Mercer Bears. However, that edge proved to be short lived as the Bears took the lead for good in the second inning and claimed victory by a 13-2 score.

Two seniors began their seasons with two hit performances. Jordan Martin (Atlanta, Georgia) went 2-for-4 with a run scored and Jordan Wesley (Mitchellville, Maryland) ended day one a perfect 2-for-2 with a double.

Several newcomers made an impact in their first contests as Hawks. Junior Ryan Rotondo (Warwick, Rhode Island) also supplied a 2-for-4 performance at the plate and freshman Derek Schoff (Colora, Maryland) came in late as a substitute and scored a run. Freshman pitcher Dwayne Marshall (Piscataway, New Jersey) struck out four batters and two and a third in his collegiate debut and classmate Marty Tolson Jr. (Stafford, Virginia) added two punch outs of his own.

Head Coach Charlie Goens put in most of the new players late in the game as substitutes to help them deal with any nervous energy they might have. "We have a lot of young men and they come with nerves, especially in this first game. We played everyone tonight to help get rid of those jitters. It is our jobs as coaches to make them better and prepare them, and we will get better."

Junior Chris Melrath (Rising Sun, Maryland) took the loss after giving up four runs in two innings. Despite the defeat Melrath did strike out a pair of Bears.

The Shore's offense jumped out of the gate, with Martin striking a base hit to right and advancing on an error to third base. Junior Jamison Trower (Chesterfield, Virginia) then drove Martin home with a sacrifice fly.

The Hawks were able to hold the lead until the bottom of the second when Mercer countered with four runs. Eight unanswered runs would cross home for Mercer before Eastern Shore was able to score again. After Schoff was hit by a pitch in the seventh inning, junior Dallas Culotta (Princess Anne, Maryland) doubled to left to bring him home.

Mercer finished off the game with five more runs--one in the seventh and four in the eighth. The Bears were led by Matt Meeder's 4-for-6 game with three runs and three RBI's and a six inning, one run outing by starter Nick Askew.

Maryland Eastern Shore continues their three game series with Mercer at 2 p.m. Saturday.