DAYTON, Ohio — A furious comeback late in the game fell just short as the University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team dropped a 6-4 decision to the Eastern Kentucky Colonels. The game was played at Wright State University's Nischwitz Stadium.

After falling behind 5-0, the Hawks scored their first run when Marcus Brown (Silver Spring, Maryland) drew a bases loaded walk in the sixth. The contest stalled at that score until the top of the eighth.

In the eighth, Aaron Schreur (Bloomfield Hills, Michigan) and Joey Nicastro (New Market, Maryland) led off with singles. Devynn Hancock (Salisbury, Maryland) came to the plate and smacked a double to the left-center gap. Both runners scored ahead of him. A wild pitch and throwing error led Hancock home to close the deficit to one.

With runners at the corners and a great chance to take the lead, Eastern Kentucky managed a strikeout to finish the rally. The Colonels would score once in the bottom of the eighth to complete the 6-4 score.

Relief pitching helped the Hawks stay in the contest. The trio of Keith Carpenter (Walled Lake, Michigan), Brian Cordell (Pasadena, Maryland) and Derrick Rabb, Jr. (Charlotte, North Carolina) combined for one unearned run and four strikeouts over four innings pitched.

Additional top performances for the Hawks include a .750 on-base percentage for Dillon Oxyer (Pasadena, Maryland) and Brantley Cutler (Washington, North Carolina) with a critical outfield assist in the eighth to keep the game close.

The Hawks and Colonels wrap up their series Sunday (Feb. 24) with another 10 a.m. start time at Nischwitz.