Box Score EMMITSBURG, Maryland – A pitcher's duel against Mount St. Mary's busted out to open the weekend series for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team on Friday, April 21. Unfortunately, the Hawks would drop the contest 1-2 to the Mountaineers, in Kyle Speas' best start in the maroon and grey.
 
The Hawks fall to 11-25 on the season but aren't hurt in Northeast Conference standings with the out-of-conference weekend.
 
Speas was tremendous in his start, going 1-2-3 in three of his six full innings, striking out a career high seven batters and allowing just three hits – he completed six and a third with two runs against.
 
In the fifth the Hawks had Luke Myers on third following a single, a sacrifice bunt and a balk, leading to Brian Cordell driving him in with a single. Myers' single extended his on-base streak to thirteen games in a row.
 
Despite Speas spinning one of the greatest games of his life, the Mountaineers were able to grab the lead on a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh. Brady Drawbaugh was able to get under a pitch and send it to left center, putting the Hawks down a run.
 
"Played a good nine inning baseball game," interim head coach Shawn Phillips said. "One bad pitch costs you the game – that's what they do here at this ballpark, they try to homer you to death, they got one up and it carried out."
 
Nick Gatton took over for the Hawks and closed the game out with three strikeouts in his appearance, but the offense couldn't find the momentum to take back the game.
 
"We got em' there and just couldn't get them in, it's going to happen," Phillips said. "As long as we keep battling, getting runners into scoring position, we're going to get them in but today they made good pitches and got outs when they needed them."
 
Three Hawks – Cordell, Brantley Cutler and Ryan Howe – each had three hits each; Cutler's was the 100^th of his career.
 
"Brantley is having a heck of a year and it just goes to show what type of hitter he is," Phillips said. "Hopefully he keeps going, keeps being hot."
 
It's a new day for the Hawks on Saturday (April 22) against the Mountaineers, Noah Covington is expected to take the mound in the second game of the series.
 
A livestream and Live Stats will be provided by Mount St. Mary's, with links available on the University of Maryland Eastern Shore athletic department website. Follow the action on Twitter via @ESHawksBase.