NORFOLK, Virginia – It was a split day for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team, taking Norfolk State University out 6-4 in game one before falling 5-7 in ten innings on Saturday, April 29.
 
Despite the draw on Saturday, the Hawks took the series 2-1 against the Spartans – maintaining sixth place in the Northeast Conference and in position for the NEC Tournament with two conference series left.
 
"It was a tough long day for us, but we took two out of three (in the series)," interim head coach Shawn Phillips said. "Gotta be happy."
 
Game One
 
It was another leadoff single, much like Friday (April 28), for Brian Cordell to get the game started on the right foot for the Hawks as he was driven in on a Brantley Cutler double down the right field line. UMES kept swinging, as Alex McCoy notched his second triple of the season to score Cutler.
 
A failed pickoff attempt sent McCoy home for the third run of the inning, and the Hawks kept with the aggressiveness on a double steal initiated by Luke Myers at first but had Kyle Cincinnati scoring from third.
 
Starter Noah Covington kept the Spartans in check until the bottom of fourth when Norfolk was able to string along singles to drive in a run to make it a 4-1 ballgame.
 
Norfolk cut the lead in half during the bottom of the sixth on a solo shot, then were able to manufacture two runs in the seventh to tie the game up.
 
Myers and Cincinnati were able to reach in the top of the eighth thanks to a single and an error, putting the Hawks in position to make a move on the scoreboard. Marcus Brown, delivered for UMES out of the designated hitter position with a triple, putting Myers and Cincinnati across.
 
"I have guys that are fighting at the opportunity to get in the game," Phillips said. "Marcus had a big base hit there at the right time in the first game."
 
Porter Braddy took over on the mound and delivered a clean inning, then Nick Gatton closed out the game, picking up his first save of the season.
 
"We scored four and then we cooled off," Phillips said. "They tied it up and we scored two when we needed too and that was all weekend."
 
Game Two
 
Norfolk was able to turn a one-out walk into a two-run lead against the Hawks in the bottom of the second inning during game two with a home run against starter Evan Nibblett.
 
A pair of doubles in the top of the third, first by Carter Rieben and the second by Jason Brown, cut the Spartan lead in half for the Hawks.
 
Rieben would hit his second double of the game in the top of the fifth to lead off the inning, putting him in scoring position. He advanced on a flyout by Brown, then was driven in to tie the game on a Cordell sacrifice fly.
 
The Spartans would load the bases in the bottom of the sixth against Nibblett, successfully driving in the runner from third base on a sacrifice fly to take a one-run lead.
 
Loading the bases up themselves in the top of the seventh, the Hawks were able to stake back a lead with Cordell driving Cincinnati and Myers after Brown walked on a single.
 
Norfolk strung together quality at bats in the bottom of the eighth against the Hawk bullpen. Opening with a walk, the Spartans followed up with a single and sacrifice fly to tie the game at four-each. Another single put the home squad up by a run.
 
Never showing quit, the Hawks were able to tie the game up with a home run by Cordell, good for his fourth RBI in the game.
 
"Cordell got a big home run there in the ninth," Phillips said. "Then we had a big play at the plate (in the bottom of the ninth) to stay in the game."
 
With the game on the line in the tenth inning, the Hawks were unable to keep the magic going as Rieben was left on second base when he walked and advanced on a wild pitch. A taxed Hawk bullpen would eventually succumb to a two-run homer, giving Norfolk the win.
 
"It was tough not having (Caden) Parker today,"
 
Road Warriors
 
It was a long eleven games for the Hawks during the road trip but UMES never faltered, going 6-5, including 5-4 in the conference, with two of those games going to extras.
 
Cutler and Cordell drove the offense during the trip – Cutler hitting .432/.510/.705 with four doubles, a triple, two homers and 11 RBIs; Cordell .410/.500/.795 with one double, a triple, four home runs and 13 RBIs.
 
On the mound Kyle Speas held opposing batters to a .203 average with a 3.12 ERA over three starts, holding down the Friday spot in the rotation. Gatton was the Hawks rock out of the pen, appearing in seven of the eleven games for 12 innings pitches to a 2.25 average against.
 
Next Up for the Hawks
 
The Hawks have had the first week of May circled since the announcement of the schedule, needing the week for a well-deserved break after the road grind. No midweek awaits the Hawks, allowing the bullpen to reset before Fairleigh Dickinson University visits for a three-game NEC set starting on Friday, May 5.
 
It will be a test of things to come for the Hawks against the Knights if UMES progresses to the NEC Tournament, as FDU looks to be one of the top three seeds and holds the most prolific offense in the conference.
 
Game one of the series is set for 3:00 p.m. on Friday, Saturday's meeting at 1:00 p.m. and the getaway for FDU is at noon on Sunday. Live Stats will be provided with a link available on the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Athletic Department website.
 
Follow the action on Twitter via @ESHawksBase.