BALTIMORE, Md. — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore jumped out to an early lead and held off a late rally from Coppin State, but it wasn't enough as the Eagles walked off with a thrilling 12-11 victory in extra innings on Friday evening. Despite a career night from Paige Perkins and a relentless offensive push, the Hawks saw their strong performance fade in the final frames as Coppin State mounted a comeback to steal the win.

The Score
Coppin State (1-10, MEAC 1-0) - 12
Maryland Eastern Shore (1-16, MEAC 0-1) - 11

How it Happened 
The Hawks struck first in the top of the second. Junior Ella Falcetti was hit by a pitch to reach base, followed by a single from freshman Araceli Manzo to left field. Junior Paige Perkins then singled to right, advancing Falcetti and Manzo to third and second, respectively. Senior McKenzie Abiley kept the momentum going with an RBI single to left, bringing Falcetti home for the early 1-0 lead.

UMES continued its offensive push in the fourth when Perkins launched a towering home run to left field, putting the Hawks ahead 2-1. Later in the inning, junior Jaycee Holt put the ball in play and reached on an Eagle error, allowing Abiley—who had doubled earlier—to cross the plate, making it 3-1. Freshman Tyla Dickerson followed with an RBI single, scoring Holt, while freshman Takiah Landes, who had walked, also came home to extend the lead to 5-1.

The Hawks kept rolling in the fifth. Manzo reached on a single, then aggressively moved around the bases on passed balls before scoring on a wild pitch, giving UMES a 6-2 advantage.

Coppin State responded in the bottom of the fifth, bringing home two runs to cut the deficit to 6-4.

UMES added insurance in the sixth with a four-run surge. Dickerson grounded out to bring home junior DeNae Ojeda, who had reached on a walk and advanced on a passed ball. Falcetti followed with a line-drive RBI single to left, scoring freshman Clarke Calvin. Moments later, Manzo reached on an error, allowing Falcetti to score. Perkins capped off the inning with a line-drive double to center, bringing Manzo home and pushing the lead to 10-4.

Coppin State rallied late to force extra innings, plating six runs between the sixth and seventh innings to even the score at 10-10.

In the eighth, the Hawks reclaimed the lead when Calvin delivered a clutch double to deep center, bringing home Ojeda for an 11-10 advantage.

However, Coppin State had one final chance to respond—and capitalized. A well-placed bunt forced an error at first, bringing in the tying run. Moments later, a line drive to left sealed the walk-off win.

By the Numbers 

• Paige Perkins had a breakout performance, blasting a home run in the top of the fourth. This marked her second home run of the season, while she also set a career high for total hits in a season with eight.
• UMES showed its speed on the basepaths, swiping six bases—the most since stealing eight against Alabama A&M on Feb. 15. Freshman Araceli Manzo led the way with three stolen bases, a career high for the Helendale, California, native.
• The Hawks tallied 13 hits and eight RBIs in their conference opener, bringing their March total to 40 hits across seven games. Their 11 runs marked a season high and the most in a game since March 19, 2023.
• Freshman Tyla Dickerson recorded her first multi-hit game and first three-RBI performance of the season.
• Ella Falcetti extended her hitting streak to three games, finishing with an RBI single.
• McKenzie Abiley notched her third double of the season, sparking the Hawks' fourth-inning rally.
• Kassidy Oneail started in the circle and pitched 6.2 innings, striking out five. The Hawks' pitching staff combined for six strikeouts, just one shy of their season-high seven.

Next Up
The Hawks continue their series against Coppin State with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 15, at 1 and 3 p.m.


Stay updated with UMES softball at UMESHawkSports.com and follow along on Twitter (@UMEShawksSB) and Instagram (@umeshawkssb).