NORFOLK, Va. – Coppin State's baseball team scored a season-high eight runs in the ninth inning to defeat Delaware State, 18-12, on Saturday afternoon at Marty Miller Field, winning its first MEAC Championship since 1995. The Eagles also matched a school-record with its 24
th win of the season and receives the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Brian Nicolas was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Performer while
Jordan Hamberg,
Sebastien Sarabia and
Josh Hankins were also named to the All-Tournament Team.
Sherman Reed, who is in his 12
th season at the helm of the program, was named the Most Outstanding Coach.
CSU scored 13 of its 18 runs in the final three innings, taking an 8-7 lead after its top of the seventh. The Hornets retook the advantage at 11-8 with four runs in the home half of the frame. The Eagles cut that deficit to a single run after the eighth, and
Rashad Ruff, who entered the game in the fifth threw a scoreless inning to keep it a one-run game.
The Eagles' eight runs in their final at-bat came on six hits with Hankins delivering what was the go-ahead runs with a two-run single up the middle to score
Matt Day and
Marcos Castillo. Day had tripled to start the inning and was held up at third as Castillo beat out an infield single.
Jordan Hamberg was then hit by a pitch to load the bases before another two-run single, this time off the bat of
Sebastien Sarabia. After a groundout,
Brian Nicolas drew a walk before
Mike Dorcean connected for a three-run double off the wall in right field to make it a 17-11 score.
Wellington Balsley, who was intentionally walked earlier in the frame, drew a bases-loaded walk for the final run of the inning.
Delaware State attempted a last-ditch rally but only managed a run in the bottom of the ninth.
Coppin had started out the game hot, scoring five runs in the first inning on a two-run double by Hamberg along with a bases-clearing double from
Landen Argabright. Delaware State scored one in the second and four in the fourth to tie the score before going on top, 7-5 with two runs in the fifth.
Nicolas, Dorcean and Argabright all drove in three runs for the Eagles with Day and Castillo recording three base hits apiece. Nicolas, Hankins and Dorcean had two hits apiece while Nicolas and Sarabia all had a team-high three runs scored.
Ruff earned the victory for Coppin, allowing five earned runs with five strikeouts in 5.0 innings of relief.
John Neeld, who closed out the earlier game, pitched the first 2.1 innings and gave up one earned run.
Giovanni Canales and
Johan Freudenburg combined to give up six runs in the middle 1.2 innings.
The Eagles will find out their Tournament destination as the NCAA Baseball Selection Show will air on ESPN2 on Monday, May 30 at 12 pm.
