HANOVER, Md. – Coppin State's baseball team got out to an early lead, but Delaware State scored eight unanswered runs in an 8-6 victory over the Eagles on Friday afternoon at Joe Cannon Stadium. CSU led 1-0 with two outs in the first inning of game two, but a thunderstorm caused the game to be suspended and it will be resumed on Saturday at 12 pm.
The Eagles got out to an early 3-0 lead in the first with three hits while also taking advantage of three Hornets miscues.
Jordan Hamberg led off the inning with a double to the gap in left center and scored as
Wellington Balsley beat out a bunt single as the throw from third went wild. Balsley advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt before scoring from third on a squeeze bunt from
Conner Walker. Walker reached first on the play and came around to score follow a single by
Sebastien Sarabia and a fielder's choice and an error with
Toran Smith at the plate.
William Jackson tossed a 1-2-3 first inning for Coppin and he retired the side in the second as well before the Hornets got a run on the board in the third. After a scoreless fourth, Delaware State rallied for seven runs on eight hits in the fifth to take an 8-3 lead.
CSU stranded three runners on base over the next two innings as
Nico Felber held DSU in check in the seventh to keep it a five-run deficit.
A last-ditch effort by the Eagles fell just short in the seventh as Coppin rallied for three runs but fell just short.
Nick Morales drew a pinch hit walk before being replaced by
Grant Williams who advanced to third on Hamberg's single to right. Following a pitching change, Balsley was hit by a pitch to load the bases and two runs scored on a wild pitch and a groundout from
Darren Hagan.
DSU made another pitching change and Walker just missed a home run to center field, but his sacrifice fly scored Balsley from third before a groundout ended the game.
Hamberg had two of Coppin's five hits in the game while Balsley finished 1-for-1 with two runs and a pair of walks. Walker also drove in a pair of runs to lead the Eagles offensively.
Jackson took the loss, allowing five runs in 4.0 innings before
Giovanni Canales allowed just one earned run in two innings.
Tyler Nichol got the start on the mound in game two and threw a scoreless first inning as Coppin put one run across in its half before play was suspended. Balsley drew a one-out walk and scored following back-to-back singles from Hagan and Sarabia. Walker followed with a singled to load the bases and Smith was retired for the second out of the inning.
Following the completion of today's nightcap tomorrow afternoon, another seven-inning game will follow 30 minutes after the conclusion of the game. The four-game series will be completed on Sunday, April 11 at 12 pm.
