SALISBURY, Md. – Coppin State's baseball team rallied from a 3-1 deficit with five runs over the final two innings, but fell to Maryland Eastern Shore, 7-6 on Thursday afternoon at Perdue Stadium. The Eagles and Hawks are now tied for first in the MEAC with an 9-8 record in league play.
Trailing by a pair of runs in the eighth,
Matt Day and
Josh Hankins were successful on a double steal, but the throw to third was wild and allowed Day to score. On the throw in from left field, Hankins was also able to score, tying the game at 3-3.
Johan Freudenburg and
Giovanni Canales combined to keep The Shore at bay in the bottom half of the inning and the Eagles capitalized with three runs in the top of the ninth.
Brian Nicolas reached on an error to start the frame before stealing second and advancing to third on a failed pickoff.
Corey Miley drove him in with a single to give Coppin the lead. Day followed with a two-run homer to left field, extending CSU's advantage to 6-3.
The Shore tied the score in the bottom of the ninth with three runs on two hits and two walks, sending the game into extra innings. Coppin went down in order in the tenth and the Hawks got a walk-off hit with two outs in the bottom half.
The Eagles held the initial lead on an RBI double from Hankins, who was just named to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, in the first inning, scoring
Wellington Balsley all the way from first after a leadoff walk.
Tyler Nichol held The Shore scoreless over the first two innings, but the Hawks scored three in the third to take the lead. Nichol settled down to hold the hosts scoreless through the seventh inning before being relieved by Freudenburg to start the eighth.
Nichol was not involved in the decision as he gave up just three runs on five hits over 7.0 innings while striking out seven. Canales took the loss, giving up four runs over the final 2.2 innings.
Six different Eagles had one hit apiece, led by Day who went 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBI along with a walk and three stolen bases.
Coppin will look to respond as it takes on The Shore in a 12 pm doubleheader on Friday, April 15. Saturday's single game is also set for 12 pm.
