PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – Coppin State's softball team scored 14 runs and sent 19 batters to the plate in a 21-10 comeback victory at Maryland Eastern Shore on Sunday afternoon at Hawk Field. The 21 runs by the Eagles were their most since April 5, 1997 at Delaware State where they scored 23 runs. It was also the first time that CSU scored at least 20 runs since April 14, 2000 at The Shore.
Trailing, 10-7 entering its final at-bat, Avianna Peterson got the rally started with a leadoff single, the team's first of nine base hits of the inning. After a fielder's choice counted for the first out of the inning, CSU had 13 batters reach base without recording an out. Isabella Zalba scored the first run of the inning, scoring all the way from first following a throwing error by the pitcher before an RBI single by Melanie Aguilera cut the deficit to 10-9.
Brooke Caballero tied the score at 10-10 with a double to center field and she was replaced by pinch runner Lynn Porter who scored the go-ahead run as Vanessa Carrizosa drew a walk with the bases loaded. Brissa Alvarado and Peterson drilled back-to-back RBI singles before Zalba drew another bases-loaded walk to give CSU a 14-10 advantage.
A throwing error followed, allowing two more runs to score, before a two-run single by Makayla Caballero, extending Coppin's lead to eight runs. Carrizosa later drove in the team's 19th run with a single to center before a two-run single from Alvarado plated the team's 20th and 21st run of the game.
Coppin finished with 16 base hits in the opener, led by Carrizosa and Alvarado who had three hits apiece. Carrizosa also drove in five runs, scored twice and drew a walk while Alvarado had four RBI and a pair of runs.
Peterson, Zalba and Makayla Caballero also had multiple hit games with the latter two driving in a pair of runs each while combining to score five runs. Jaslyn Sanchez scored a team-high four times, followed by Alexis Genovese's three runs while Shawnee Ronyak scored twice.
Kayleigh Reome, who had entered the game in the sixth, threw a scoreless seventh to preserve the victory for the Eagles. Ronyak started the game and was credited with two unearned runs in the first 1.2 innings before Maren Bernal gave up eight runs over the next 3.1 innings.
Earlier in the game, Coppin also rallied from a 5-1 deficit to score take a 6-5 lead with five runs coming in the fifth. Carrizosa delivered a two-run single followed by an RBI double from Alvarado and another run-scoring single from Zalba to record four of the five runs. Makayla Caballero scored the first run of the inning on a wild pitch following her leadoff double to left.
CSU's lead was short lived as the Hawks matched the five runs with five of their own in the bottom of the fifth. The Eagles got one of the runs back in the sixth on a single from Carrizosa before The Shore went scoreless in the sixth.
In the nightcap, Coppin was unable to hold on to a 5-3 fifth inning lead as the Hawks scored five unanswered runs in the final two innings to win, 8-5. Seven different Eagles had all of Coppin's seven hits with Carrizosa scoring twice in the game.
Alvarado reached safely three times in the game, going 1-for-2 with an RBI double, a run scored and two walks. Carrizosa also doubled while Zalba recorded an RBI triple.
Carrizosa went the first two innings in the no-decision before Bernal gave up six runs over the next 3.0 innings and took the loss. Reome allowed one run over the final inning.
The Eagles will head to Saint Peter's for a 3 pm doubleheader on April 13 before hosting Delaware State in a three-game MEAC series on April 15-16. A doubleheader against the Hornets will be played on Friday, starting at 1 pm, followed by a 12 pm single game on Saturday.
