HANOVER, Md. – Coppin State's baseball team rallied for eight runs to defeat Norfolk State, 13-12, in game one of a MEAC doubleheader on Friday afternoon at Joe Cannon Stadium. The Eagles dropped the nightcap, 4-1 and now stand at 5-11 overall and 3-3 in the MEAC while the Spartans are now 5-14, 1-1 MEAC.
Conner Walker went 2-for-3 with four RBI and a walk during game one while
Toran Smith also had a pair of hits to go with three RBI.
Wellington Balsley and
Darren Hagan both recorded two-hit games and combined for seven runs with Balsley scoring four times.
Trailing 12-5 going into their final at-bat, the Eagles sent 13 batters to the plate and scored eight runs on five hits while taking advantage of an error, four hit batsman and a pair of walks. Balsley and Hagan started the frame with back-to-back singles followed by a two-run double by Walker to cut the deficit to 12-7. After a groundout, Smith drove in Walker with a single through the left side to make it a 12-8 score.
After another groundout,
Cole Gerula was plunked with two outs which forced a pitching change.
Brandon Watkins was also hit by a pitch to load the bases, as was
Matt Day which scored a run, cutting the deficit to three runs. Balsley beat out a single to first base and the throwing error by the first baseman allowed both Gerula and Watkins to score. A walk issued to Hagan loaded the bases once again and Walker was hit by a pitch to tie the score.
Sebastien Sarabia then drew a walk which scored Balsley for the game-winning run.
Coppin led early in the game, scoring three runs in the first after
Aaron Rea struck out two batters in the first innings. Day and Balsley were hit by pitches and advanced on a double steal. Hagan was also hit by a pitch to load the bases before RBIs from Walker,
Jordan Hamberg and Smith.
Norfolk State scored twice in the top of the second to cut the deficit to 3-2, before tying it up with a run in the third.
Back-to-back sacrifice flies by Sarabia and Smith gave Coppin back the lead at 5-3 after three, but the Spartans got three runs in the fourth off Rea before
Tim Ruffino struck out the final batter of the inning looking. Norfolk put a five spot on the board in the fifth to take a 12-5 lead and CSU failed to capitalize in the fifth and sixth, leaving three runners stranded before the final inning heroics.
Rea gave up six runs over the first 3.2 innings while striking out five while Ruffino was credited with six earned runs over the next 1.1 innings. Making his collegiate debut,
Luke Baker tossed two scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and earned the victory.
The nightcap featured a pitcher's duel as both teams recorded just five hits with the Spartans coming out on top. A pair of errors helped Norfolk score a run in the second off
William Jackson, who held the Spartans without a hit through four innings.
Norfolk got three runs on three hits in the fifth as
Nico Felber took over with one out in the inning. The Eagles threatened off NSU starter James Deloatch in the third and fifth innings but grounded into double plays to stop the rallies in their tracks.
Mike Dorcean put the Eagles on the board with a solo home run to left center, but Deloatch ended the game with a pair of strikeouts.
Jackson pitched well in the loss, allowing just three runs on two hits while striking out four in 4.1 innings. Felber fanned two and gave up just two hits in in 2.1 innings.
Bradley Tuttle retired a batter via the strikeout.
The same two teams will meet on Saturday, March 27 at Joe Cannon Stadium for a 1 pm doubleheader.
