Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
SALISBURY, Md. – On Senior Day for the Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team, not a single earned run was scored by the visiting Norfolk State squad – still, the Hawks split their eighth Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) doubleheader on Friday at Perdue Stadium.
Dropping game one despite a fine performance by starter Noah Covington (6-5) 6-5, the Shore (16-31, 15-14 MEAC) bounced back when Cameron Bratton (2-5) pitched his second complete game shutout against the Spartans (15-30, 9-17 MEAC) in game two to win 3-0.
"I thought we pitched really well," Hawks head coach Brian Hollamon said. "I thought both Noah and Cam threw the ball really well, so did Evan (Nibblett)."
Game One
It was a bit of a squandered start for Covington in the first game of the day, as the nation leader in complete game was able to throw five strong but needed 35 pitches to get through the opening frame due to a two-out error on a ground ball to second. Following the error, Norfolk third baseman Tommy Woods singled to right to give the Spartans an early one-run lead.
"After a mistake it was compounded on the mound," Hollamon said.
A short lead was earned by the Shore in the bottom of the third when they were able to load the bases when Marcus Brown drew a four-pitch walk, then Bryan Widdowson was hit by a pitch for a team leading tenth time this season and Brian Cordell loaded the bases with a single to left. Derrick Mayes II came up to bat next and smacked a single up the middle, driving in both Brown and Widdowson for two runs and the lead.
Covington looked sharp until another two-out error caused some traffic on the basepaths in the fifth, leading to four Norfolk runs that would go down as unearned. After Brandon Cleveland reached on a throwing error on a routine ground ball, Raphy Rodriguez walked before Jacob Council hit a single to right, tying the game up at two-all.
With two runners on, Tanner Brandon hit a double to left field, driving both Spartans in to put the Hawks down by two runs and the lead. Woods would hit his second RBI of the game with a single to center, scoring Brandon. Covington worked back from down 3-0 in the count to cause a Steven Shaffer groundout to stop the bleeding.
In the top of the sixth, Evan Nibblett came on in relief of Covington but suffered the same luck with an unearned run being scored against him after Kam Walker led off the inning with a single. Norfolk catcher Robert Beatty laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Walker to second and was successful, then Walker made a move to third and then the throw from first to get him out went wide, inevitably scoring him for the sixth unearned run of the game.
The Shore was able to grab one back in the sixth with Widdowson leading off the offensive half of the frame with a double to center. Mayes grounded out but put Widdowson on third, then Nick Roets knocked a single to left, scoring his center fielder.
A rally began to happen in the bottom of the seventh against Norfolk reliever Jackson Sanchez, who walked Ryan Howe on a full count to start things off. Jason Brown came in to pinch run and on cue stole second base, his fifth of the season and was driven in by Brantley Cutler hitting a long single to right center. Alex McCoy pinch ran for Cutler and was eventually driven in by Widdowson, making it just a one run game.
Cordell hit a single in his at bat, signifying the winning run but it wasn't in the cards for the Hawks, when a double play started at short ended the quick rally, giving Norfolk the win.
Game Two
Bratton turned in another phenomenal start against the Spartans after throwing a complete game shut out just two weeks ago in Norfolk over nine innings. This week Bratton threw the full seven required in a double header, seeing just one batter over the minimum while striking out six.
In the first Bratton had one of his few miscues of the game, hitting the speedy Rodriguez on an 0-1 count after an easy fly ball to center to lead off the game. Rodriguez tempted his fate and tried to steal second base, but two-time MEAC Rookie of the Week Kyle Cincinnati gunned him down with a throw right on the money for the second out of the inning. Bratton then induced another easy fly to center to end the inning.
"I thought our young guys did a really good job," Hollamon said.
The Hawks got on the board quickly in the bottom of the frame when Jason Brown laid down a bunt to the Norfolk third baseman and his speed got him to first with ease but caused a throwing error, putting him on second. Ryan Howe grounded out to short for the second out of the inning and put Brown on third, then heads up base running on a wild pitch by starter Noah Wiggins scored Brown with ease.
In the third Norfolk caused a scoring scare when Malcom Perry reached on an error in left and nearly reached home on a double by Cleveland, but he was thrown out trying to touch home when an all-rookie trio of Brown, Ryan Davis and Cincinnati had him gunned down at the plate.
Looking for more runs to give Bratton some breathing room, the Shore was able to grab two more in the bottom of the fourth with simply moving the men on base with quality hits. Howe started it off with a single past the third baseman and then McCoy singled through the hole at short to put two on before Cordell hit into a fielder's choice to put runners on the corners.
Cincinnati proved his can get it done not just defensively but at the plate as well, hitting a single on an 0-1 count to score Howe. Keeping with the freshman magic, Davis hit a single himself, driving in Cordell to make it a 3-1 ballgame.
Through the rest of the game, Bratton was electric, seeing nothing but the minimum and allowing just a single hit by Rodriguez on a ball up the middle. Having one out already on a fly ball to center, Bratton induced a double play to short and ended the game – the second time he's closed out a game against the Spartans with an easy fly ball and double play.
"It's unfortunate that we came out of here with a split," Hollamon said. "I know Norfolk's a good ballclub, but I think we need to play better ourselves."