HAMPTON, Va. – Coppin State's softball team opened the season with a split of two games at Hampton University's Battle of the Bay on Friday afternoon. After falling to Bryant, 4-2 in the opener, the Eagles rallied to defeat the host Pirates, 6-5, for the first win under new head coach
Mercedes Hargett.
Bryant def. Coppin State, 4-2
Both teams went scoreless for the first two innings before Coppin got on the board with a pair of runs in the third.
Avianna Peterson got the offense going with a one-out single before stealing second.
Celeste Gonzales drew a walk, and after a bunt single by
Aniyah Haley,
Manaia Fonoti drove in Peterson with a single, and an error by the right fielder also allowed Gonzales to score from second.
Seryna Esparza drew her second-straight walk to open the season, but the Bulldogs escaped further trouble with a pair of outs.
Vanessa Carrizosa got a 1-2-3 third and fourth inning and gave up just one hit in the fifth, but Coppin was unable to get her extra insurance.
A pair of errors along with four hits helped Bryant score four runs in the sixth to take the lead with
Emily Quintero retiring both batters she faced to end the inning.
Xzylia Maravilla was hit by a pitch to open the seventh, getting the potential tying run to the plate but the next three Eagles were retired to end the game.
Carrizosa took the loss for Coppin despite allowing just two earned runs on six hits over 5.1 innings while striking out two.
Coppin State def. Hampton, 6-5
Coppin got out to an early lead with a run in the first following singles by Gonzales and Fonoti before Gonzales scored on an error.
Quintero got the start in the circle for the Eagles and retired the first six batters she faced before Hampton scored five runs in the third. Carrizosa relieved Quintero with two on and no outs in the third and gave up back-to-back sacrifice flies before fanning the final batter to end the inning.
The Eagles immediately bailed Quintero and Carrizosa out with five runs in the top of the fourth to retake the lead. Esparza opened the frame with a single and advanced to second as
Giselle Ulloa reached on a fielder's choice. A single by
Brooklyn Tapusoa loaded the bases before Maravilla drove in two with a single to right field. Peterson then doubled to drive in Maravilla and a bunt single by Haley scored Carrizosa to tie the score. Aggressive baserunning by the Eagles also got Carrizosa to score on the bunt, giving them the 6-5 lead.
Carrizosa retired the next eight batters before a two-out single y Hampton in the sixth. She then retired the side with a flyout and gave up just one baserunner in the seventh to seal the win.
Gonzales and Esparza each had a pair of hits in the win while five other Eagles had base hits. Carrizosa received the win after giving up just three hits while striking out one in the final 5.0 innings.
Up Next: Coppin will take on Wagner at 12:30 pm and Hampton at 3:00 pm on Saturday, February 17, in the final day of Hampton's Battle at the Bay.
