BALTIMORE – Coppin State's softball team completed a three-game sweep of MEAC rival Delaware State by taking both games of a doubleheader on Friday afternoon at CSU Softball Complex. The Eagles (10-11, 5-1 MEAC) won the opener, 8-7, in walk-off fashion before taking the nightcap, 8-2 and are off to their best start in conference play since the 2018 season where they also started 5-1.
Game 1: Coppin State def. Delaware State, 8-7
The heart of Coppin's order combined for nine hits, seven runs and five RBI as Seryna Esparza led the way by going 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Celeste Gonzales, Manaia Fonoti and Giselle Ulloa all had two hits as Fonoti scored three times, drove in another and had both a double and a triple. Ulloa had a team-high three RBI which included a sacrifice fly.
Freshman Emily Quintero went the distance in the circle, allowing just two earned runs on seven hits while striking out two.
Both teams had their share of defensive miscues with the Hornets committing seven errors.
Delaware State scored in the opening inning, but Esparza got the run back for the Eagles in their half, driving in Fonoti after she tripled down the left field line with two outs.
Quintero got a 1-2-3 second inning, but the Hornets scored a pair of unearned runs in the third to take a 3-1 lead. DSU tacked on a run in the fourth before Coppin struck for four runs on three hits while taking advantage of four errors to go on top, 5-4. Fonoti reached on an error and got to third after another Esparza hit and an error. Esparza got to second on a delayed steal before a two-run single by Ulloa made it a one-run game.
After another error put two runners on, Julianna Mejia stole second and the throw to third to try picking off Ulloa was wild and allowed both runners to score, giving Coppin the advantage on the scoreboard.
Once again, Quintero kept DSU in check with a 1-2-3 fifth, and Coppin gave her some extra insurance with two runs in the bottom half. Gonzales started it with a single before scoring on Fonoti's double down the left field line. Esparza advanced Fonoti to third with a groundout before Ulloa drove her in with a sacrifice fly to deep center.
A pair of CSU errors in the sixth helped Delaware State tie the score at seven, and Coppin was unable to answer. Quintero put together her third 1-2-3 inning of the game with a perfect seventh before Coppin prevailed in its final at-bat. Esparza and Ulloa had back-to-back singles with one out. Brooklyn Tapusoa then hit a ground ball towards the left side which was stopped by the shortstop. The fielder attempted to force Esparza at third, but the throw was offline and went into the dugout, allowing Esparza to score the winning run.
Game 2: Coppin State def. Delaware State, 8-2
Fonoti and Gonzales each had a pair of hits with Fonoti recording a double and a triple along with two runs and an RBI. Gonzales scored three times and drew a walk while Esparza collected a hit and a pair of walks.
Ulloa drove in three runs with a pair of sacrifice flies while Avianna Peterson and Xzylia Maravilla also had two RBI apiece. Ulloa and Maravilla both had a pair of sacrifice flies.
Vanessa Carrizosa improved her record to 6-9 on the season with the complete game victory. The senior from Moreno Valley, Calif., gave up just one earned run on six hits while striking out three in 7.0 innings.
Carrizosa got a 1-2-3 first inning and a scoreless second before the Eagles got on the board on the first of Maravilla's sacrifice flies. Tapusoa opened the frame with a walk and got to second on a single by Mejia. A wild pitch got both runners into scoring position before Maravilla fouled out to the catcher down the first base line. With three players attempting to catch the foul ball, nobody was covering home and Tapusoa aggressively raced home for the go-ahead run.
Delaware State tied the score with an unearned run in the third, but Coppin scored four runs in its half of the inning. Gonzales led off with a single before scoring on a triple by Fonoti, and Fonoti later scored on a single by Ulloa. Later in the inning, Peterson drew a bases-loaded walk and Ulloa scored on another flyout by Maravilla, giving the Eagles a 5-1 lead.
Ulloa added a sacrifice fly in the fourth and sixth, and Coppin added another run in the sixth as Peterson once again drew a walk with the bases loaded.
DSU put together three hits to score a run in the seventh, but Carrizosa got the final out to secure the sweep.
Up Next: Coppin returns to action on March 29-30 for a three-game series at NC Central, in a rematch of last season's MEAC Championship Game. Friday's doubleheader starts at 1 pm followed by a 12 pm single game on Saturday.
