NORFOLK, Virginia – The Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team is still seeking it's first doubleheader sweep on the season following a split Saturday (April 23) at Marty L. Miller Field in Norfolk, Virginia. The Hawks (13-27, 12-11 MEAC) took game one 7-5 while the Spartans (12-26, 9-14 MEAC) grabbed game two 5-2.
 
The Shore wraps up the series tomorrow (Sunday, April 24) with a noon getaway game where they will look for their first season series win.
 
"We gets and pieces," head coach Brian Hollamon said. "Some days we hit really well, some days we pitch really well, but the combination of pitching, hitting, playing good defense, the combination of that I'd like to see that happen collectively. I think it's time to put all of those components together."
 
Game One
 
The Hawks got started quickly in the first game, with Andrew Revels coming back after being down 0-2 in the count with four straight balls to put a runner on. Revels was out on a fielder's choice during Dillon Oxyer's at bat, but Oxyer was able to reach second when the Norfolk shortstop attempted to turn two but threw high and the ball sailed into the Hawks dugout. As if like clockwork, Ryan Howe came to bat and smacked a double down the right field line, scoring Oxyer and putting the Hawks up 1-0.
 
Norfolk worked back in the bottom of the third inning against starter Noah Covington (6-3), drawing a walk and then coming back with a quality bunt to put runners on first and second. Dionte Brown slapped a single to left, driving in the first of the runners. With two runners on, Tanner Brandon hit a single up the middle, putting two more runs on the board for Norfolk.
 
Quickly responding, the Shore was able to battle back for the lead in the top of the fourth when Howe and Brantley Cutler were in scoring position for Kyle Cincinnati. With a ten-pitch at-bat, Cincinnati hit a single to right field, driving in Howe from third base. Luke Myers drew a walk to put the bases loaded for the bat of Jason Brown who hit a triple to left center to clear the bases, giving the Shore a 5-3 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth.
 
"Jason's coming around," Hollamon said. "He's a young guy getting exposure to playing now that he's healthy, he's finding his way in the lineup and doing a really nice job."
 
The Spartans were able to get within a run in the bottom of the fifth with Raphy Rodriguez lead off with a double and with two runners on, Steven Shaffer hit through the left side to give Norfolk another run.
 
In the sixth the Hawks grabbed an extra run on a scattering of mistakes by Norfolk. Marcus Brown was able to reach first as the leadoff batter on a throwing error by the Spartans third basemen, then was pinch ran for by Alex McCoy who moved to second on a wild pitch. Cincinnati drew a full count walk and then Myers was called out on strikes, but the ball was wild and got behind Spartan catcher Robert Beatty. Although he was able to grab the ball, Beatty threw wide to first, scoring McCoy from third.
 
An insurance run was added in the top of the seventh when Riley Horner led off with a four-pitch walk and advanced to second when Howe hit a single, followed by Brantley Cutler being hit by a pitch. Pinch hitting, with two strikes and the bases loaded, Derrick Mayes was hit by a pitch to drive in the Hawks seventh run of the game.
 
Covington came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh but had a short leash and was pulled for reliever Blake Rebstock when Rodriguez led off with a double to start the inning. Two fly balls by Norfolk drove in a runner and Rebstock walked a batter, but he quickly came back with a strikeout to end the game and pick up his first save of the season.
 
"We played well the first game," Hollamon said. "Noah threw a great game, Blake closed the game out and did a great job there."
 
Game Two
 
Norfolk State chipped away to take their win in game two, scattering five runs over three different innings and chasing starter Evan Nibblett (2-2) after the fourth inning.
 
In the second inning the Spartans took a one-run lead off a solo home run by Tommy Brown on an inside pitch that went over the left center wall.
 
Nibblett was able to keep Norfolk in check in the third but sent seven batters to the plate in the fourth to score three more runs, starting off with a double by Brandon who was driven in on a ground rule double by Shaffer that got caught in the left field corner. Phillip Boykin hit a single to drive in Shaffer and Boykin eventually came around on a Ben Cleveland sacrifice fly.
 
An extra run was scored by Dionte Brown in the bottom of the fifth, leading off with a single, stealing second and then advancing to third on a ground out. He would be driven in on a single to second, Shaffer's second RBI of the afternoon.
 
The Hawks battled back in the top of the sixth when Widdowson hit a 2-2 single and got to third on a Cutler double. McCoy drew a pinch hit walk and then Ryan Davis took a four pitch walk to put Widdowson across for the Hawks first run of game two.
 
"The guy on the mound did a good job of keeping us off balance," Hollamon said. "He didn't throw a ton of strikes which it turn sometimes made you take pitches when you shouldn't."
 
Facing reliever Dylan Flint, Nick Roets hit a sacrifice fly to get the Hawks within two a 5-2 before the inning was over.
 
With last call in the top of the seventh, the Hawks looked to be able to make the huge comeback on a two-out rally. Widdowson drew a walk and Howe reached on a fielding error, then Cutler loaded the bases with a walk himself. McCoy was primed to come up with the big hit, knocking a fly ball to right center but the Norfolk shift was in the perfect position for a ball that hung up just a second too long, closing the game out.
 
Series Finale
 
Sunday (April 24) will be the getaway game for the Hawks, wrapping up the series with Norfolk holding a 2-1 lead on the weekend and a one game lead through two series between the teams. If the Shore can come away with a win it will be the first series winning weekend of the season and will keep the squad in second place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with Coppin State and Delaware State splitting their doubleheader.
 
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