SUMMARY  
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore closed its first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference series with an 8–3 victory against Howard on Sunday afternoon.

Araceli Manzo led the Hawks with two RBI, while Kinsey Mentzer, Amaya Nunez, and Makalah Clark each recorded doubles.
Dani Brown earned the win after starting in the circle and returning later in the game, pitching 5.2 innings while allowing one hit, one earned run, and striking out two.

THE SCORE 
Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (5–15, 1–2 MEAC) — 8
Howard (9–13, 2–1 MEAC) —  3

HOW IT HAPPENED 
UMES began Game 3 against Howard with an early lead in the top of the first inning, scoring three runs.

Jada Lacey reached on an error and aggressively moved around the bases with back-to-back steals before scoring on a wild pitch to give the Hawks a 1–0 lead.
Clarke Calvin followed with a walk and stole second, while Kinsey Mentzer reached on an error to put runners on the corners. After another wild pitch moved Mentzer into scoring position, Lola Meyer delivered an RBI single to center field to bring home Calvin.
Moments later, Araceli Manzo added another run as Mentzer crossed the plate during a popup that resulted in a defensive miscue, extending the Hawks' lead to 3–0.

Dani Brown pitched three scoreless innings before Chloe Weber entered in relief in the fourth.

Howard cut into the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. A single and a walk put two runners on base before another walk loaded the bases. A bases-loaded walk brought home the Bison's first run to make it 3–1.
Howard added another run on a sacrifice fly to right field, trimming the Hawks' lead to 3–2 before the inning ended.
Brown returned to the circle in the sixth inning. After recording a flyout, Howard tied the game at 3–3 with a solo home run. The inning ended with a Bison runner caught stealing at third.

UMES broke the tie in the top of the seventh inning with a five-run rally.

Amaya Nunez sparked the inning with a double before Gabriella Beltran followed with a single to put runners on the corners. After Makalah Clark entered as a pinch runner and stole second, Skylar Skinner reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Nunez to score and give the Hawks a 4–3 lead.
A wild pitch allowed Clark to score, and another wild pitch during a stolen base attempt by Jada Lacey brought Skinner home to extend the lead to 6–3. Later in the inning, Kinsey Mentzer added an RBI double to left field to score Lacey.
Araceli Manzo capped the rally with an RBI single to center field, bringing Mentzer home and pushing the Hawks' advantage to 8–3.

BY THE NUMBERS
The Hawks ended a 12-game losing streak to Howard, with the previous UMES win coming on Feb. 25, 2023, in Charlottesville, Virginia. The last Hawks victory in Washington, D.C., came on April 23, 2022.

In her first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference series, Dani Brown pitched 10.2 combined innings, allowing four hits, three earned runs, and five walks while striking out seven. Brown recorded her first save of the season and earned her third win of the year.

Araceli Manzo finished the series with five hits and four RBI. She now has 11 hits and seven RBI on the season.

Kinsey Mentzer extended her hitting streak to seven games with her RBI double in the seventh inning.

NEXT UP 
UMES returns to Hawk Field on Tuesday, March 17, for a doubleheader against Colgate scheduled for 1 and 3 p.m.