NORFOLK, Virginia – Everything was clicking for the Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team in the opening round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference baseball tournament against Coppin State on Thursday (May 19) until everything unraveled over two innings at Marty L. Miller Field in Norfolk. Although the Hawks (16-36, 15-19 MEAC) grabbed some late inning runs after giving up an early lead, it wasn't enough, falling to the Eagles 9-8 and forcing them into a win or go home situation.
 
"I think we're as good as anybody we play," head coach Brian Hollamon said. "I think we can win at any given time, it's just we've got to get over the hump and win these tight games."
 
It was quick striking for the Hawks to begin the game, working Coppin starter Jordan Hamberg for four runs on two outs starting with a ten-pitch walk by shortstop Dillon Oxyer. It was then Ryan Howe knocking his eighth double of the season to the right field gap to drive in Oxyer from first base, followed by a Brantley Cutler walk to put two men on.
 
Coming to bat with speed, Alex McCoy hit a shot almost identically to where Howe had his double but raced to third, driving in two, stretching the lead to three. On Hamberg's next pitch he spiked a breaking ball in the dirt, making McCoy the fourth earned run against Hamberg in the first inning.
 
Taking the rock for the Hawks, Noah Covington needed just nine pitches to make it through the bottom of the first inning by inducing soft contact to the top of the Coppin order.
 
The Hawks kept it going in the top of the second thanks to a fielding error at third by Coppin to put Nick Roets on at first. Hitting three straight singles, the Shore was able to grab two more runs – the first RBI coming from Brian Cordell and the second by Oxyer.
 
"The guys had a great attitude, kept the intensity, did a lot of good things," Hollamon said.
 
As the game moved into the third the Hawk offense began to lag, with Coppin finding their groove on the mound and at the plate. The Shore struck out twice and popped up in the top of the inning while the Eagles strung six base hits in a row, scoring one off a Josh Hankins double, followed by a single by Hamberg for a run and another single by Marcos Castillo to drive in the third of the inning.
 
It was another rough inning in the fourth for the Hawks, with two strikeouts and a groundout in the top of the inning and six runs being scored against as the Eagles batted around, sending ten to the plate against Covington and reliever Riley Horner.
 
"Today was a good clean game for the most part but we couldn't get them out in the third and fourth inning," Hollamon said.
 
Evan Nibblett came in to pitch for the Hawks in the bottom of the fifth and was absolutely electric in keeping the Eagles offense at bay, going four innings strong, striking out four and seeing just one Coppin batter over the minimum during his time in the game.
 
A rally was attempting by the Shore with a run scored in the seventh when Cordell walked and advanced to third on two wild pitches, then scored on a Howe groundout to second. Another run was grabbed in the eighth when McCoy reached on an error, stole second, made his way to third on a groundout and crossed home plate on a Kyle Cincinnati groundout.
 
Getting a leadoff walk by Andrew Revels in the ninth looked to spur another run to possibly lock things up, only for the Hawks not being able to string together anything to get him across the plate, diminishing the hopes of the late game comeback.
 
"We worked our way back to 9-8, was a good job," Hollamon said. "Had a chance to tie the game even in the last inning."
 
With the loss the Hawks will need to win against Norfolk State, who lost to Delaware State by a run in the tournament opener, and then another three games in order to win that long awaited MEAC Championship. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m. and will be streamed live on HBCUGo.
 
Follow the action on Twitter via @ESHawksBase.