SALISBURY, Maryland – The University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team picked up its first win of the season over visiting Lehigh University on Sunday, March 5 during a one-and-one day that included a loss to Manhattan College.
 
During the matinee of a three-game set at the Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex that included Lehigh topping Manhattan 5-4 to start the day, UMES took a win against the Mountain Hawks 8-7 and dropped the nightcap to the Jaspers 15-6.
 
Game One
 
It was a tight game for the Hawks and Evan Nibblett's first win of the season over Lehigh, holding the Mountain Hawks late surge – leading to Caden Parker's first collegiate save.
 
UMES struck first by putting together a run off of a leadoff double Derrick Mayes II who was moved along by a Riley Horner sac bunt and driven in by Brantley Cutler putting up a sacrifice fly.
 
"My mindset being the leadoff guy is to set the table so they guys behind me can eat," Mayes said. "Yesterday's game against Lehigh was just good baseball, I was able to get on base, my guys moved me over, came through and drove me in."
 
Lehigh took the lead in the top of the third following a two-run home run, but the Hawks tied it back up in the bottom of the frame in similar fashion to the first – the only difference being Horner grounding out to short instead of a sacrifice bunt.
 
Another two-run homer staked the Mountain Hawks lead to 4-2 until UMES rattled off a six-run inning to make it an 8-4 ballgame in favor of the home side.
 
With the bases loaded, Luke Myers smacked a two-run single to drive in Bryan Widdowson and Alex McCoy, tying it up a four-all. Then Mayes was able to capitalize on his third double of the game to plate Kyle Cincinnati followed by a single by Horner to drive in Mayes and Dillon Oxyer who drew a walk.
 
"Our guys swung the bat pretty well," head coach Brian Hollamon said. "Off and on we had a lot of a lot of really good things going on."
 
The Mountain Hawks grabbed two more runs from a pair of singles in the eighth, but Caden Parker came in for UMES to shut down Lehigh, pitching 1.2 innings to three walks but no runs.
 
"It felt good to know we can win a tight game," Hollamon said. "Those high leverage scenarios are tough to handle and if you can start winning those, those tight games, you're making a lot of progress."
 
Game Two
 
While the Hawks were able to get a solid win in game one, they were only able to scatter six runs across three innings in a 15-6 loss to the Jaspers under the lights.
 
UMES was blessed with two runs in the first following an error on a sacrifice fly by Cutler who was then walked in on a balk by Manhattan starter Darien Rorabeck.
 
Manhattan unleashed in the third inning with six runs, putting timely hitting following Hawk errors together to stretch the lead. In the fourth the Jaspers grabbed two more following wild UMES pitching.
 
The Hawks were able to grab two in the bottom of the fourth but a Jaspers fifth and sixth sunk UMES with seven runs off of relievers. Location hurt the Hawk pitchers, giving up a home run and also three runs on throws to the plate that went outside Cincinnati's zone.
 
Anders Brown and Myers added two runs late on sacrifice flies, although a Hawk rally never was able to come to fruition.
 
Northeast Conference Next
 
It's the start of Northeast Conference play for the Hawks this Friday (March 10) as Central Connecticut State visits for a three-game series. The Blue Devils were picked to finish first in the NEC, giving UMES a tough introduction to the conference.
 
"Going into conference play we certainly are not content with where we are at today," Mayes said.
 
"But we have seen the potential of what we can do and now it's just time to execute when it matters most," he added.
 
CCSU currently sits at 2-2 after getting a late start to the season, grabbing two wins against Butler but were outscored 49-4 against perennial powerhouse LSU this past weekend.
 
"We're getting some guys back for next weekend and hopefully we're going to feel more comfortable with what we're doing," Hollamon said.
 
Game one of the series is set for 2:00 p.m. on Friday.
 
Follow the action on Twitter via @ESHawksBase.