Lady Eagles Split Twinbill Against Howard

BALTIMORE- Coppin State freshman Alisha Esqueda homered as the Lady Eagles split their home doubleheader against Howard University on Wednesday, April 20 at the CSU Softball Complex in Baltimore.
 
Coppin State dropped the first game 10-0 and bounced back for a 16-8 victory over Howard in the final game.
 
Esqueda led CSU with three hits, two RBIs, two runs scored and one home run on the afternoon.
 
Overall, eight Lady Eagles finished the day with multi-hit games.
 
The Lady Bison jumped out on Coppin early in the opening game, scoring three runs apiece in the first and second innings, one run in the third inning, two more runs in the fourth inning and one run in the fifth inning.
 
The Lady Eagles only registered two hits in the first contest, a single up the middle by senior infielder Danielle Smith in the bottom of the second inning and another single up the middle from freshman pitcher Melanie Benge in the bottom of the third inning.
 
Benge also led CSU tossing 3.0 innings and fanning two batters.
 
Coppin State regrouped and came out on fire in game two of the doubleheader.
 
Howard scored six runs in the opening inning of play, but the Lady Eagles responded with six runs of their own.
 
Smith reached on an error by third baseman and then stole second base to lead off the bottom of the first inning.
 
Senior outfielder Alanna Williams pushed an RBI single up the middle, scoring Smith for the Lady Eagles first score of the afternoon.
 
Freshman infielder Megan Narvaez reached on an error by the shortstop in the next at bat advancing Williams.
 
Then Esqueda singled through the left side to load the bases for CSU.
 
In the next at bat freshman infielder Cayla Brown knocked a two run RBI single up the middle, bringing home Williams and Narvaez as the Eagles trailed 6-3.
 
Freshman pitcher Dakota Gartell followed with a single to center field to load the bases again for the Lady Eagles.
 
Senior catcher Shelby Mendoza hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Esqueda as Coppin State closed the Howard lead to 6-4.
 
Freshman outfielder Hatika James followed with an RBI single to right field, scoring Brown.
 
Then Smith punched an RBI single up the middle, bringing home Gartell as the Lady Eagles closed the first inning tied at 6-6 with Howard.
 
Coppin State continued its strong play into the next inning.
 
Esqueda broke the 6-6 tie with a solo homer over the left field fence putting CSU ahead 7-6. It was the third home run of the season for Esqueda.
 
Brown followed with a double through the left side for her second hit of the game and in the next at bat Gartell sent Brown home with an RBI single up the middle.
 
Mendoza tripled through the right side, scoring Gartell in the next at bat.
 
Then James followed with an RBI single to left field, bring home Mendoza as Coppin State closed the inning with a 10-6 lead.
 
Howard added one run in the third inning to close the CSU lead to 10-7 but Coppin State answered with two runs in the bottom of the third inning.
 
Benge led off the inning with a single through the left side and Williams followed with a single to right field.
 
In the next at bat, Narvaez hit an RBI single up the middle, scoring Benge for CSU's first score of the inning.
 
Gartell gave Coppin State a 12-7 lead with an RBI single through the left side, bringing home Narvaez.
 
In the bottom of the fourth inning Smith singled to the shortstop then stole second base to lead off the inning.
 
Smith scored the Lady Eagles lone run of the inning with when Williams reached on an error by the second baseman as the Eagles gained a 13-7 advantage.
 
The Lady Bison would score their last run of the game in the top of the fifth inning.
In the bottom of the sixth inning the Lady Eagles put the game away scoring three runs.
 
Smith was walked to begin the inning, then she stole second base for the third time in the game.
 
After Benge was walked in the next at bat, Smith advanced on a Williams' sacrifice fly to right field.
 
Narvaez reached on an error by the shortstop in the following at bat, scoring Smith.
 
Then Esqueda slammed a RBI single up the middle, bringing home Benge and Brown. Suddenly, the game ended by mercy rule on an RBI error by the first baseman, scoring Narvaez as the Lady Eaglesd captured the 16-8 victory.
 
Gartell went all 6.0 innings for CSU and struck out two Howard batters.
 
Coppin State will complete its home series against Howard with a single game on Thursday, April 21 at 6:00 p.m. at the CSU Softball Complex.