SALISBURY, MARYLAND – It was an offensive explosion for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team (1-5) as the squad closed out its opening homestand against the University at Albany with a solid 10-3 win at Perdue Stadium.
 
"It feels good to get the monkey off your back right now," head coach Brian Hollamon said. "The guys have played good baseball so far this year, we just couldn't find a way to get a win. Today we just started hammering. People swung the bat well, played great defense and quite honestly pitched really well."
 
Following suit from Saturday's starters, senior Caleb Walston (Princess Anne, Maryland) took to the bump and turned in four solid innings with three strikeouts.
 
"We're easing guys deeper in the game," Hollamon said. "Probably everybody is no more than five innings (in an appearance), so we're easing (them) in to the game and seeing where we go."
 
Walston ran into a little trouble in the third after allowing a two out triple and the ensuing run but was lock down for the majority of his start even with runners on.
 
Albany wouldn't hold the 1-0 lead for long when bats came alive for the Hawks in the bottom of the third by taking advantage of wild Dane and timely hitting so every batter had an opportunity at the plate.
 
Andrew Revels (Annapolis, Maryland) kicked things off in the third with a leadoff single and immediately stole second, making his way to third off a throwing error by the Albany catcher and then a wild pitch would get him home to tie the game up.
 
With the pitcher shaken, it was time for the Hawks to take advantage starting with Pasadena, Maryland boys Dillon Oxyer and Brian Cordell reaching and being driven in by Devynn Hancock (Salisbury, Maryland) to make it 3-1.
 
"When they're up good things are happening," Hollamon said. "Even on their outs good things are happening, People are moving. Brian's been hot, Brian's been playing really well. Andrew Revels has gotten some hits over the weekend that have been really good."
 
Payton Hoskins (North East, Maryland) made it 4-1 with his first double and RBI of the season by scoring Hancock from second.
 
Oxyer and Cordell scored again in the fourth, this time with Blake Coleman (Woodbridge, Virginia) getting in on the action with an RBI single.
 
Junior Evan Nibblett (Seaford, Delaware) took over to relieve Walston in the fifth and dazzled on the hill by forcing the 12 of 13 batters he faced back to the dugout, giving up just one hit and no runs.
 
"It was calming when he came in," Hollamon said. "(He) threw like nine pitches in the first inning and only about twelve in the second inning. It was nice and calming and relaxing. When you live in the zone everything good happens"
 
There was no slowing for the Hawks offense as the game wore on, tacking on another run in the sixth when Hancock driving in Cordell for a second time.
 
Another three runs were added in the seventh thanks to Matt Smith (Salisbury, Maryland) and Cory Joyce (Levitttown, Pennsylvania) coming in off the bench to deliver hits, as well as Coleman continuing to pad his stats with an RBI single.
 
Albany threatened in the top of the ninth by scoring two and then loading the bases with just one out before Corey Poulsen (Bel Air, Maryland) came in to shut down the Danes with two flyouts, securing the win.
 
The Shore gets two rest days before hosting Georgetown University for the first game of a home-and-home between the teams on Wednesday (Feb 26). It will be the first time the Hoyas have visited the Eastern Shore since 2015 with the last nine games taking place in Bethesda, Maryland.