Box Score April 30, 2017 Box Score
HANOVER, MARYLAND - The Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team fell just a few innings short of their goal to sweep Coppin State this weekend. After leading 5-2 at the middle of the fifth, the Hawks gave up five runs to the Eagles and dropped the series finale, 7-6, at Joe Cannon Stadium Sunday.
With the loss Maryland Eastern Shore fell to 10-33 (7-14 MEAC) on the season.
Sophomore Ryan Rotondo (Warwick, Rhode Island) tried his best to power the Hawks to a win with a 3-for-5 day, driving in three and scoring once. Senior Jordan Wesley (Mitchellville, Maryland) reached base and scored twice.
On the mound, freshman Steven Cook (Westminster, Maryland) struck out five batters and was effective over five innings of work. Fellow freshman Dwayne Marshall (Piscataway, New Jersey) contributed 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief with two punchouts.
The Shore took the lead in the third with a three run inning. Sophomore Dominic DeBlasie (Tilton, New Hampshire) scored on an error and Wesley scored on a wild pitch for the first two runs. Then junior Tyler Friis (Appleton, Wisconsin) came around to score on Rotondo's RBI single.
Two more runs would come in the fifth. Rotondo drove home senior Jordan Martin (Atlanta, Georgia) with a double and junior Jamison Trower (Chesterfield, Virginia) used an RBI groundout to score Rotondo and give the Hawks a three run lead.
That lead would evaporate the next half inning as the Eagles scored three runs to knot the score. In the seventh, Coppin State took the lead with a two RBI single.
Maryland Eastern Shore would make one last push in the ninth. After loading the bases with one out, Rotondo was presented with an opportunity to be here. He was able to push home Wesley for one, but Friis-representing the tying run-was tagged out in his attempt to score. The next batter for the Hawks grounded out to end the game.
The Hawks fell to one-half game behind Coppin State for the coveted third and final spot at the MEAC Tournament in Salisbury, Maryland this May. Three conference regular season games are all that's left to determine seeding, with Maryland Eastern Shore challenging Norfolk State next weekend in Princess Anne.
But first, The Shore travels to Pittsburgh for a two game mid-week set with the Pitt Panthers on Tuesday and Wednesday.
