After a slow start to the 2008 season the Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) won their first series sweep of the season, topping Coppin State (CSU) 7-6 and 18-12 in double header action today at Joe Cannon Stadium. They are 3-20 overall this season.
In game one, scheduled for seven innings, the Hawks fell behind early with CSU taking a
2-0 lead in the third inning on two singles and a doubles.
UMES tied the game in the fourth inning with two runs of their own. Tyler Love reached on an error to start the inning, going to second on the throw. Jorge Pichardo then walked and went to second on a ground out from Michael Guy. Josh Dunham singled through the right side to pick up two RBI plating Love and Pichardo.
The Hawks added a run in the fifth when they got the lead-off batter, Pat Hercinger, on
again with an error. Hercinger stole second base on a Ryan Coppin strike out. One out
later Love walked. On a double steal attempt Love was out at second but before the tag
Hercinger scored to give UMES the 3-2 lead.
In the sixth inning the Hawks blew the game open, plating four more runs to take a 7-2 lead. Pichardo led-off with a double to center. After an out, Pichardo went to third on a wild pitch and would then score on Dunham's sacrifice fly to right. With two outs and one run in, UMES wasn't done. Phillip Vaughn singled up the middle. He went to second on a wild pitch and then scored on a Remo Orsini single down the right field line. Herciger then drew a walk to make it first and second. Coppi would single to left center, went to second on the throw and plated Orsini and put Hercinger on third. Russell
Duetschmann then singled through the left side to plate Hercinger. Coppi rounded third on the play but was out at home on the throw from left field.
Mike Roberts had been solid through the first five innings. He allowed just two runs on six hits and walked just two. That changed in the sixth inning however when Coppin got the bats going, scoring four runs of their own on three hits, a walk, and a hit batsman. Two singles, and the hit batter loaded the bases to start the inning for the Eagles. Roberts induced two shallow fly outs to right and it looked as if UMES would get out of the jam but a walk by Brandon Alexander plated one run and a Jerry Matos double to left center scored three more runs to make it 7-6. The Hawks got out of the jam when Harry Williams grounded out to end the innings.
Despite a pair of hits UMES didn't score in the seventh and brought in the designated hitter, Ryan Coppi to close out the game. Coppi hadn't seen action on the mound all season but earned the save recording a fly out and two line outs. Roberts earned the win, his first of the season and Darrell Downs took the loss. Vaughn was 2-4 with a run in the game while Dunham finished 1-2 with three RBI. Pichardo was a perfect 2-2 with a pair of runs.
In game two the Hawk offense was on fire. They scored seven runs in the first two innings off of starter Brad Bronson. They opened the game plating two runs in the first. Vaughn had a lead-off walk, stole second base and then went to third on an error by Bronson. Orsini would walk and then, in one of baseball's most exciting plays, steal second on a double steal where Vaughn stole home. Two outs later Orsini went to third on a wild pitch and Deutschmann would single him home.
Carl Huber sat the Coppin State side down in order and got a big lead in the next inning as UMES continued to pound Coppin. Pichardo started the second with a double to left. Matt Witte would reach on an error and Dunham would follow, reaching on a fielder's choice that put Witte on second and Pichardo out at third. Vaughn was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Orsini picked up the easy RBI by drawing a walk. Hercinger doubled to right to pick up all three runs and Coppi singled him home.
The Eagles got on the board with one run in the fourth inning and added one more in the fifth but the score was still lopsided as the top of the fifth saw the Hawks post six more runs. Love singled to right, Pichardo reached on an error and then Witte reached on a fielder's choice that got Pichardo out but moved Love to third. Dunham continued his hot hitting for the series with a double to right center to plate Love and move Witte to third. Vaughn would single up the middle to plate both Witte and Dunham and go to second on an error by the center fielder.
Bronson's day would be done at that point. He gave way to Briggs who faced Orsini.
The hard-hitting freshmen reached on error and Vaughn scored. Hercinger singled to left to put Coppi on second. Coppi then dug in and doubled to right center to plate Orsini and put Hercinger on third. He would score on a Deutschmann sacrifice fly and the Hawks had a whopping six runs on five hits and three CSU errors.
Bronson would take the loss for the Eagles, allowing 11 runs, nine earned, on nine hits, three walks and not recording any Ks. He worked four and a third innings.
With the score 13-2 Coppin State got their bats going. They scored three times in the sixth inning to make it 13-5. Those three runs came on three hits and two Hawk miscues.
UMES got two of those runs back in the seventh inning when John Goray, entering as a substitute, got his first collegiate hit, a single through the left side. That single scored two Hawks, Hercinger and Guy.
Now up 15-5 the Eagles spread their wings, posting six runs on four hits and a UMES error. Five of those runs came in before the Hawks went to the bullpen for Daniel Sterling. All in all 11 runs were tagged to the starter Huber, seven earned, eight hits and five walks. He would still record his first win of the year in the game.
Sterling would officially work three innings, allowing just two hits, one run and three walks. He would earn the save.
Coppi did get one run in the ninth but UMES added one in the eighth and two in the ninth to account for the final margin 18-12. The run total marked the second time this season that the Hawks posted double digit runs.
Patrick Regaldo and Sean Yampierre each had two RBI on the day.
UMES pounded out a whopping 19 hits and took advantage of six Eagle miscues. Hercinger had four RBI on a 3-6 day with three runs. Dunham had three RBI on a 3-6 day with two runs. Four more Hawks, Vaughn, Coppi, Goray and Deutschmann all had two RBI each. Vaughn and Coppi each had a pair of hits on the day.
The Hawks will take their momentum into Wednesday when they host St. Peter's in a non-conference double header starting at Noon.