Softball’s Rally Falls Short in Opener Versus Saint Peter’s; Eagles Also Fall in Nightcap

BALTIMORE – Coppin State's softball team rallied for a pair of seventh inning runs in the opening game of a doubleheader against Saint Peter's but fell to the Peacocks, 7-6 on Wednesday afternoon at CSU Softball Field.  The Eagles also dropped the nightcap, 9-1.
 
Inside the Numbers (Game 1)

• Coppin outhit Saint Peter's, 11-9 as four different Eagles had a pair of hits.  Haley Bravo drove in a pair of runs with her two hits and scored a run while Soraya Valdez-Frick and Melanie Aguilera had RBI.
• Brissa Alvarado also had two base hits, a run and a walk whereas Sydney Dombrowski added a hit and drew a pair of walks.
• CSU used four pitches in the opener with Kayleigh Reome allowing six runs over the first two innings.  Lily Carter tossed 2.1 scoreless innings before Maren Bernal allowed a run in 1.2 innings.  Jaylene Sierra retired all three batters she faced in the top of the seventh, including a strikeout to end the frame.

How it Happened

• Both teams scored three runs in the very first inning with Saint Peter's taking a 3-0 lead before Coppin tied it up with four hits in the bottom half.  Brissa Alvarado, Cloe' Ochoa and Sydney Dombrowski started the game with three-straight singles to load the bases and Haley Bravo drove in Alvarado with a fielder's choice to second base.  Melanie Aguilera then drove in Ochoa with a double to left and an error allowed Bravo to score as well.
• Reome got a 1-2-3 second inning and Alvarado singled with two outs in Coppin's half but was left stranded.
• Saint Peter's loaded the bases with no outs to start the third and two of those inherited runners scored on a single and an error with Lily Carter on the rubber.  A groundout scored another runner before Carter got the final out.
• CSU got one of the three runs back in the third as pinch runner Lynn Porter scored from third as the Eagles attempted a double steal.
• Neither team scored in the fourth or fifth, but the Peacocks got a much-needed insurance run in the sixth with a leadoff triple and a sacrifice fly.
• The Eagles went down in order in the sixth but fought to within 7-6 with a pair of runs in their final at bat.   Dombrowski drew a leadoff walk and pinch runner Nia Bowe scored on an opposite field double by Soraya Valdez-Frick.  Bravo drove Valdez-Frick with a single to right center, but a pair of groundouts retired the side and gave the visitor's the win.

Inside the Numbers (Game 2)

• Haley Bravo had two of Coppin's five hits while Sydney Dombrowski, Brissa Alvarado and Cloe' Ochoa also had base knocks.  Dombrowski drove in the team's lone run with a double in the third.
• Jaylene Sierra started in the circle and gave up six runs over 2.0 innings and Alvarado allowed two runs in the final three innings.

How it Happened (Game 2)

• Saint Peter's scored six runs in the top of the first on five hits and an error and took a 7-0 lead after its half of the second with another run.
• Only Haley Bravo (single) and Melanie Aguilera (HBP) reached safely over the first two innings for the Eagles.
• Brissa Alvarado tossed a scoreless third and Coppin got on the board with a run in its half of the frame.  Cloe' Ochoa started it with a two-out single, and following another single by Bravo, came home to score on Sydney Dombrowski's double to right center.
• Both teams went down in order in the fourth but a two-run home run by the Peacocks in the fifth made it a 9-1 run score.
• Alvarado tried to keep CSU alive with a single, but the Eagles were unable to capitalize.

Up Next: Coppin will play St. Francis (Pa.) in 10:00 single game to be played at Towson University.