BALTIMORE – Infielder
Jamar Criss hit his fourth home run of the season in a 16-6 home loss for the Eagles against Mount St. Mary's on Wednesday, April 20
th at Joe Cannon Field.
Coppin State drops to 9-27 overall while Mount St. Mary's improves to 6-26 on the season. The Eagles trailed 5-4 after the fifth inning, but the Mount broke the game open with seven runs in the sixth.
Junior infielder
Bryant Miranda led the Eagles first inning off with a double to the left-center field gap. He advanced to third shortly and then crossed home plate on an RBI groundout by freshman Nazier McIlwain (1-0). The Mount came back in the second inning with three runs on three hits and an error by the Eagles defense (3-1).
Freshman
Jamar Criss followed Miranda's play in the previous inning by scoring a run after also leading the inning off with a hit. Criss singled to left field and then scored a run on a groundout by senior outfielder
Darien Percell (3-2). MSM extended their advantage with one run on a pair of hits in the second inning (4-2).
Freshman pitcher
Andrew O'Dwyer highlighted the top of the fourth inning in his seventh start of the season. O'Dwyer struck out the first two batters with style putting an end to consecutive innings scored by The Mount. A bases loaded walk by the Mount made the game 5-2 in the fifth inning.
Coppin State tacked on a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to close the gap between them and the Mount. Miranda led off drawing a walk and then advanced to second on a bunt single by infielder
Colin Dower. Next, McIlwain ignited the Eagles with an RBI single to left field scoring Miranda from second base. The Eagles next run of the inning came after Dower stole third base and then scored on a throwing error by the Mount's catcher (5-4).
Mount St. Mary's offense broke away from the Eagles with seven runs in the sixth inning. Coppin State replaced relief pitcher
Delvin McFadden with senior pitcher
Desean Rabb. McFadden allowed four runs while the other three went to O'Dwyer. The Mount carried a 12-4 lead through the sixth inning and then extended it to 14-4 with two more runs in the seventh.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Coppin State scored for the fifth time on a costly error by the Mounts defense. Criss led the inning off reaching first base on a wild pitch. He advanced to second base on a passed ball and made it to third on another wild pitch. Infielder
Ryan Fowler pinch hit for the Eagles and knocked in the RBI single sending Criss home (14-5). The Mount tacked on two runs going ahead 16-5 in the ninth inning.
Coppin State had one last showing in the ninth inning of play with the only home run of the game. With two outs and no runners on, Criss nailed his fourth home run of the season with a blast to left field (16-6). That was his second hit of the game as he finished with a team-high two hits with three runs scored against the Mount. Mount St. Mary's closed out the game holding on to a double digit lead, 16-6 over the Eagles.
Eight different Eagles recorded a hit paced by
Jamar Criss.
Bryant Miranda added two runs scored while Nazier McIlwain knocked in a team-high two RBIs. Coppin State finished with ten total hits to Mount St. Mary's 19. Four pitchers seen action in tonight's non-conference matchup with O'Dwyer receiving the defeat. He struck out four batters, walked five, and surrendered ten hits in five innings on the mound. Relief pitchers
Desean Rabb and
Myles Taylor each picked up a pair of strikeouts.
The Eagles return to action this weekend with a MEAC series on the road at Norfolk State University. The first game of a double header is slated for 1 p.m. in Norfolk, VA on Saturday, April 23
rd.
