GLEN BURNIE, Md. – Coppin State's baseball team scored three runs in the eighth inning to defeat Maryland Eastern Shore, 10-8 in the first game of a four-game series on Friday afternoon at Bachman Park. The Eagles improve to 19-24 on the season and 15-10 in league play, increasing their lead atop the MEAC standings to two games.
After the Hawks scored five runs in the top of the eighth to take an 8-7 lead, Coppin erupted for four hits to retake the lead.
Mike Dorcean got the rally started with a one-out single and scored to tie the score on a triple from
Wellington Balsley.
Tyler Lloyd followed with a single to left to give CSU back the lead and
Jordan Hamberg drove him in with a double to right center to make it a two-run game.
Rashad Ruff struck out the side in the ninth on just 11 pitches to secure the win for the Navy & Gold.
Balsley, Lloyd, Hamberg,
Josh Hankins and
Matt Day all had two hits with Day and Lloyd driving in three runs apiece. Day came through with a triple while Lloyd added a double. Balsley scored twice, drove in two, walked twice and stole three bases. Hankins doubled twice and scored twice while
Brian Nicolas also added a pair of runs on the day.
Tyler Nichol had an impressive start on the mound, allowing just one earned run on six hits in 6.1 innings while striking out six.
Giovanni Canales was charged with four earned runs in just 0.2 innings before Ruff tossed the final two innings, giving up one run while striking out four.
The Shore took an early 1-0 lead with a run in the second, but Coppin matched the run with one in the second on a single from Day. Scoring on Day's base knock was Hankins who walked to lead off the frame before advancing on Nicolas' sac bunt.
Both teams went scoreless in the third before Coppin scored three in both the fourth and sixth innings to take a 7-1 lead. Nicolas gave Coppin the advantage with an RBI single to drive in
Corey Miley. Day followed with an RBI triple before Balsley drove him in with single to center field.
In the sixth, Day connected for a sacrifice fly to deep center before Lloyd doubled to left, driving in both Nicolas and Balsley.
Coppin played superb defense in the middle innings, turning double plays to end both the fourth and fifth innings on line drives. With two on and one out in the fourth, Lloyd made a diving play at second base to snag a liner and tossed it to Hankins to get out of the jam. In the following inning, Nicolas caught a liner at the hot corner and doubled up the runner at second base.
Coppin hosts The Shore in a 12 pm doubleheader on Saturday, April 30 at Bachman Sports Complex.
