SALISBURY, Maryland – The University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team had a tough midweek against visiting Mount St. Mary's, falling 6-15 on Wednesday, March 22.
 
After grabbing the win against UMBC last week, Brandon Gomez was tagged with the loss as the Hawks fall to 4-16 on the season with Sacred Heart on the agenda for Northeast Conference play starting on Friday (March 24).
 
The Mountaineers got the scoring going early and often against the Hawks, taking advantage of an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt for the first run of the game.
 
In the bottom of the frame the Hawks had a small two-out rally happen when Brantley Cutler singled, and Alex McCoy drew a walk to put runners on. Ryan Howe then came to the plate and knocked a one-run double to tie it up.
 
Over the second and third, Mount St. Mary's scattered three more runs to give a 4-1 advantage before Howe came through in the third with a double driving in Cutler to cut the lead in half.
 
Another run was scored by the visitors in the fourth as the Hawks began to get the offensive juices flowing when Jason Brown legged out a single to third and stole a bag. Derrick Mayes II and Dillon Oxyer then walked to load the bases for Brantley Cutler who doubled to center for three RBIs and a tie 5-5 match.
 
Mount St. Mary's continued to hurt the Hawks bullpen by rattling off eight runs over the next four innings, including a four-run fifth.
 
Brown fueled another run for the Hawks in the eighth, repeating his fourth inning by legging out an infield single, this time to the pitcher, and stealing his sixth bag of the year, then advancing to third on the same play due to an error. Grabbing an easy run, Mayes sailed a ball to left field and drove in Brown with a sacrifice fly.
 
Unfortunately for the Hawks, another two runs were scored against in the ninth and the lineup was unable to put up offense in the bottom of the inning.
 
Mayes finished the game with two walks and an RBI, as well as showing off the cannon from the outfield for an assist in the third. Brown, Cutler, and Howe each had two hits, with Cutler knocking in three RBIs and Howe two, both had a double.
 
It's another road trip for the Hawks against the Pioneers in one of the longest trips they will take this year, heading the Fairfield, Connecticut. Currently Sacred Heart sits at 9-7 overall and 5-1 in the NEC.
 
Follow the action on Twitter via @ESHawksBase.