DOVER, Delaware – It was another doubleheader split for the Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team (9-22, 8-8 MEAC) against Delaware State University on Sunday (April 10) at Bob Reed Field in Dover, Delaware.
 
The Hawks took game one on the back of a complete game by starter Derrick Rabb Jr. 3-0 with the help of clutch hits from Marcus Brown and Dillon Oxyer, then dropped game two in a tight 4-2 battle in the last game of the series.
 
Game One
 
Rabb was terrific in the first game of the day despite early traffic on the basepaths caused by the Delaware State batters. In the first inning, the senior was able to pick up two strikeouts to start the game, then stranded Hornets on second and third with an easy fly ball out to center.
 
In the second inning the Hornets were once against able to get two in scoring position by manufacturing runners with a walk and sacrifice bunt, but Rabb didn't waiver by picking up his fourth strikeout in just two innings to end the threat.
 
Rabb was a little wild with the first batter in the third and again had two Hornets on base that reached on a fielding error, then a single for runners on the corners. Rabb had a simple response of sitting the next to Del State batters with swinging strikeouts.
 
Heading to the top of the fifth inning the Hawks offense was able to get things going when Brown launched his second home run of the year over the left center fence. Brantley Cutler singled in the next at-bat, followed by a Nick Roets walk to put two on. The Hornets made a pitching change and then promptly walked Andrew Revels to load the bases, then Dillon Oxyer hit a single through the left side to drive in two, making it a 3-0 game.
 
Delaware State threatened again in the bottom of the sixth with a walk and a single, then a fielder's choice had runners on first and third. Rabb responded to the traffic with his ninth strikeout of the game, then induced a fly ball to right to end the threat, stranding two Hornets.
 
The ninth was a clean inning for Rabb, getting the first batter to flyout to center, then forced a groundout and capitalized with his tenth strikeout to pick up the complete game win, his second against Delaware State this season.
 
Game Two
 
The Shore jumped out to an early lead in the second game of the afternoon when Oxyer hit a one-out double to center then two wild pitches ended up scoring the graduate student. Bryan Widdowson kept things going with a single to right and then was driven in on a double by Brantley Cutler to pick up another run.
 
Delaware State responded with a longball from Trey Paige in the bottom of the first with a solo shot to center against starter Ryan Davis.
 
In the third the Hornets were able to tie the game up with a two out rally started by a Paige double, followed by a walk and then an Alan Alonson single to drive in Paige.
 
A series of light hits gave Delaware State the lead in the fourth starting with a leadoff walk and steal. Davis didn't allow a ball out of the infield, but with two outs and a runner on third the Hornets singled to third to score their third run of the afternoon, ending Davis' day on the mound.
 
The Hornets doubled up on their lead in the fifth, once again thanks to a Paige home run to left center to all but seal the deal. Only one other Hawk would reach the rest of the game, with a Cordell walk in the top of the sixth.
 
Next Up
 
It will be a gauntlet of a week for the Hawks, with a night game at University of Maryland Baltimore County on Wednesday (April 13) followed by having Coppin State University visit for four games starting on Thursday (April 14) – the normal weekend series is moved up a day due to Easter Sunday.
 
Follow the action on Twitter via @eshawksbase.