GREENSBORO, N.C. – Coppin State's baseball team opened up it season with an impressive split of a doubleheader at North Carolina A&T on Sunday afternoon. After dropping an 11-inning heartbreaker, 3-2 in the opener, the Eagles defeated the Aggies, 9-5 in the nightcap.
Quinn Gleed delivered with a quality start on the mound in game one, allowing just one earned run on five hits while striking out four in 7.2 innings of work. Unfortunately, Gleed got the no-decision as he forced 11 groundball outs on an efficient 91 pitches.
North Carolina A&T got on the board first with an unearned run in the bottom of the first. Jason King led off the frame with a single and advanced to second on a balk before giving the Aggies the lead on an error.
Coppin went scoreless the first five innings despite putting a runner on in three of the frames before finally getting to the Aggies in the sixth.
Allen Saar pulled a triple to right field, one of his three hit in the opener, to lead off the inning before scoring on
Caleb Duhay's RBI single to right. Duhay then advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch before giving the Eagles a 2-1 lead on
Nazier McIlwain's single up the middle.
Gleed, who had retired 12 straight Aggies at one point retired the side in the sixth and seventh and got the first two batters of the eighth before running into a jam in the eighth. Shane Faulk delivered with a two-out pinch hit single, stole second and scored the tying run on a single, ending Gleed's day.
Aaron Rea retired the final batter of the inning as Coppin left the bases loaded in the ninth. Rea did not allow a hit in the ninth or tenth inning but allowed a walk-off double in the 11
th inning.
Rea got the loss for Coppin, allowing a run on two hits over three innings of work. Duhay and
Marcos Castillo also had multi-hit games.
Once again in the nightcap, the Aggies got on the board first with a run in the first, but this time the Eagles bats really came alive as they took the lead with a run in the second and two more in the third. Castillo started the second with a two-out single before stealing second and scoring on
Corey Treyes' double through the left side to tie the score.
Coppin loaded the bases with no outs to start the third before
Drew Thomas gave the Eagles the lead with an RBI fielder's choice.
Derek Lohr later doubled to center, scoring McIlwain who had walked earlier in the frame.
A&T got a run back in the fifth off starting pitching
Jahmon Taylor who got the win by allowing two earned over 4.1 innings while striking out five. Coppin then answered with six runs on six hits and an error in the top of the sixth to extend its lead to 9-2.
Lohr welcomed a new pitcher with a leadoff single before Castillo drew a walk. A wild pitch advanced both into scoring position before Treyes walked to load the bases with nobody out. After another pitching change,
Devyan Dyal laid down an RBI bunt single to score Lohr. Saar then drove in both Castillo and Treyes with a double followed by an RBI single by Duhay. McIlwain later drove in Duhay with a sacrifice fly after Duhay had reached third following a double steal which scored Saar, as well as a wild pitch.
Brandon Redfern, who relieved Taylor, got a 1-2-3 sixth inning before allowing three unearned runs in the seventh. Redfern then got Zach McLean to groundout to second base to seal the win for Coppin.
McIlwain, Lohr and Castillo all had multi-hit efforts in the nightcap as every Eagles starter had a hit. Castillo also walked twice while Saar followed up his three-hit effort in the opener with a pair of RBI in the nightcap.
Coppin got a combined 22 base hits in the doubleheader with ten in game one and 12 in game two.
After returning home tonight, Coppin will return to action on Wednesday, February 21 at Mount St. Mary's. First pitch is scheduled for 3 pm.
