SALISBURY, Maryland —Two home runs and a heroic pitching effort were not enough for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team in a loss to Norfolk State University 6-5 on Friday (May 3).

Fielding errors hurt the Hawks in the early innings falling behind 3-0 in the second before a Brian Coleman (Woodbridge, Virginia) solo home run to left to make it 3-1.

Norfolk would knock another run in during the fourth inning before the Shore scored two runs in fifth and then one more in sixth thanks to two Brian Cordell (Pasadena, Maryland) RBI's and another by Dillon Oxyer (Pasadena, Maryland). A one-run bomb by Devynn Hancock (Salisbury, Maryland) would give the Hawks a 5-4 lead heading into the ninth.

Pitcher Dwayne Marshall (Piscataway, New Jersey) nearly went the distance for the Hawks before an RBI single tied the game up at 5-5 in the ninth. Marshall went 8 2/3 innings giving up three earned runs allowed seven hits and struck out five. He was relieved by Chris Sanders (Pocomoke, Maryland).

The Hawks were unable to grab a run in the bottom of the ninth, sending the game into extras where the Spartans would ultimately win on a wild pitch with the Shore coming up short at the plate in the 10th.

Action continues through the weekend with a 9 a.m. game time against Norfolk State University on Saturday (May 4) in hopes of getting ahead of the expected rainfall. Sunday's game will also start at 1 p.m. and will be senior day for Eastern Shore.