STATEN ISLAND, New York – A hot start and dominant pitching for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team propelled the team to a 7-1 win and a Northeast Conference series victory against Wagner College on Sunday, April 16.
 
The win moves the Hawks to 11-23 overall and 9-9 in the conference, keeping them as the sixth seed and in NEC Tournament contention.
 
"Coming in here and playing a good Wagner team that's up in the standings, to take two out of three, that just says where we're at with the program," interim head coach Shawn Phillips said. "The team is just playing good baseball. It was a good weekend of baseball, that was just a huge series, a huge two games that we took."
 
It took no time for the Hawks to break out, rattling four runs in the top of the first inning against the Seahawks started with a single by leadoff man Brian Cordell. Dillon Oxyer would reach on an error to put two on, then Brantley Cutler and Alex McCoy hit back-to-back singles to drive in the runners.
 
Kyle Cincinnati would reach on a fielder's choice in his at bat to bring Luke Myers and his ten-game hitting streak would come to the plate. With a drive to right field for a double, the second baseman would extend his streak to eleven and give the Hawks a 4-0 lead.
 
"It kept our big inning alive," Phillips said. "The guys were running and he got the ball in the gap to get us the four spot early, it was big for us."
 
Alex McCoy tacked on another run for the Hawks in the top of the third off a no doubter to left field, his third of the season.
 
"We came out of the gates smoking balls today," Phillips said.
 
Wagner snagged a run in the bottom of the third due to a hit by pitch and a pair of singles, cutting into the Hawks lead.
 
In the top of the sixth Riley Horner led off with a walk to put pressure on the bases. Following a Hawk strikeout Cordell came to the plate and delivered two insurance runs on his first home run of the season over the right field wall.
 
"Just good, good swings all weekend," Phillips said. "They (both) found a pitch they can hit – Alex had a no doubter and Cordell found the right part of the ballpark."
 
Nick Gatton took over for starter Evan Nibblett in the top of the eighth and was lock down in finishing things out for the Hawks, striking out two with no hits against over his two innings.
 
Cutler and McCoy led the way with three hits apiece, with McCoy, Myers and Cordell all coming through with two RBIs each. Nibblett finished his day with one earned run against with three strikeouts and one walk.
 
"We gave him a four-run lead in the first and he kept them off balance," Phillips said of Nibblett. "Our defense played a little bit. He does what he does, you can't anything more from him."
 
The Hawk middle infield was phenomenal again, as the Myers-Oxyer-McCoy connection turned two double plays, marking eight in the series and 11 for the week.
 
"The guys in the middle are making the plays," Phillips said. "It's a pitcher's best friend and it keeps the momentum going for us."
 
Next up for the Hawks is a back half of a home-and-home with UMBC on Tuesday, April 18 under the lights at the Retrievers. First pitch comes at 6:00 p.m. as the Hawks look for the season sweep after taking the 8-7 victory at home in March.
 
Follow the action on Twitter via @ESHawksBase.