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SALISBURY, Maryland - Maryland Eastern Shore's pitching staff delivered a solid performance at the inaugural HBCU Classic. The game was a scoreless pitchers duel for seven innings until Delaware State managed to push across three runs in the eighth inning. That proved the difference as the Hornets swept the Hawks with a 3-0 shutout.

The Hawks fall to 9-31 (5-13 MEAC) while the Hornets improve to 8-29 (6-11 MEAC).

Senior starter Toby Hoskins (North East, Maryland) had the upper hand in the early part of the duel, holding the Hornets to two hits over six innings. Delaware State starter Darnell Maisonet was able to match Hoskins, getting key outs when the Hawks threatened.

The school's catchers-Eastern Shore junior Dominic DeBlasie (Tilton, New Hampshire) and the Hornets' Adrian Hill-were also dominant. Four of the five combined base stealers were gunned down, with Hawks senior Isaiah Chambers (Bowie, Maryland) earning the only successful swipe.

Their efforts kept the game deadlocked until the eighth. After the Hornets scored off a fielder's choice, Hill plated two more off an RBI single.

On offense, Maryland Eastern Shore peppered six hits during the game-all of them singles. Their biggest threat came in the ninth, when sophomore Dwayne Marshall (Piscataway, New Jersey) singled and DeBlasie walked. Freshman Avery Tunnell (Dover, Delaware) came up to the plate as the tying run but was called out on strikes.

The Shore battles La Salle in Philadelphia Tuesday (Apr. 24) before coming back for the home series finale against Norfolk State.