GAME 3

The Short Story:  The bats were not as timely as they were on Saturday afternoon as the University of Maryland Eastern Shore softball team dropped the MEAC series finale to Coppin State on Sunday at the Henry S. Parker Complex in Salisbury.  

THE GAME FACTS
Score: Coppin State 7, UMES 1
Location: Salisbury, Md.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Eagles got on the board first in the second with a two-out double RBI by their shortstop to take a 1-0 lead.
• In the third frame, CSU used a single, walk, stolen base, sacrifice fly and a Hawk error to add to more runs to the board for the 3-0 advantage after three innings. 
• The bottom of the fourth saw Ryan Merriwether reach on a bunt before stealing second with one out. Paige Perkins followed swinging with two strikes, but the catcher could not maintain control of the wild pitch, allowing Perkins to safely reach first base while Merriwether took third. Katelyn Smitchko would next groundout to the second baseman, but grabbed the RBI after Merriwether advanced home. The run cut the Eagles lead down to 3-1.
• CSU would get the run back in the top of the fifth with a solo home run to right field. 
• Neither team scored again until the seventh with the visitors adding three more runs before holding off the Hawks for the 7-1 win.

BY THE NUMBERS

• The game marked the second game in the series were UMES outhit the Eagles, but did not get the win. 
• Both Kelsie Ekstrom and Merriwether each had two hits for the Hawks.
• The four UMES errors ties the season-high (at North Alabama, 3/9)
• Ballenger pitched the first five innings with four strikeouts and four walks. 

UP NEXT 

• The Hawks are on the road next week, first for a visit to southwest Virginia. The Hawks play a doubleheader at Radford on Tuesday, March 19 before taking on No. 12 Virginia Tech on Wednesday evening.