NORFOLK, Va. – Returning to Mermaid City for the first time since winning the 2022 MEAC Championship 692 days ago, Coppin State's baseball team put together it's best offensive performance of the season with a 20-6 NEC victory over Norfolk State on Friday afternoon at Marty Miller Field.
Coppin's 20 runs and 18 hits were both season-highs, and the 20 runs were the team's most since it scored 21 in a victory over Cornell on March 6, 2022. The 18 base hits were the team's most since March 17, 2023, in a win at Merrimack.
Every Coppin State starter reached safely and scored a run with
Anthony Divittorio and
Daniel Moore having four hits apiece. Divittorio drove in a team-high four runs, followed by Moore,
Damon Gaither and
Chris Marte with three RBI each.
Kai Holm and
Brody Black also drove in two runs as Holm had three hits and Gaither, Marte and Black all had multi-hit games.
Noah Murciano matched Holm, Marte and Black with three runs while drawing three walks and driving in a run.
Angel Colon also scored twice and drew a pair of walks.
The Eagles battled back from a 2-0 first-inning deficit, scoring four runs in the third as Marte, Moore and Black all drove in runs with base hits. Holm led off the frame with a single before Gaither was hit by a pitch. Sam Nieves sacrificed both into scoring position with a bunt down the third-base line before Marte got the Eagles on the board with a double. Moore also doubled to put Coppin ahead, 3-2, and Black singled through the left side for the fourth run of the inning.
NSU retook the lead at 5-4 with three runs in the bottom half, but Coppin responded with two more in the fourth, regaining the advantage at 6-5. Holm once again got the inning started, doubling down the left field line before Marte cranked an opposite field home run, his third roundtripper of the season.
Norfolk tied the score at six with a run in its half of the inning, but the lead changed again in the fifth when Holm recorded a sacrifice fly, before being followed up by an RBI single by Gaither.
Nico Felber kept Norfolk at bay in the fifth and Coppin added to its lead in the sixth. Marte led off with a walk and got into scoring position on a single by Moore. A wild pitch advanced both runners 90 feet and a walk issued to
Angel Colon loaded the bases.
Black was hit by the first pitch he saw, scoring the first run of the frame. After the next two Eagles were retired, Holm drew a bases-loaded walk and Gaither was also plunked to give Coppin a five-run lead at 11-6. Nieves was also hit by a pitch for the fourth run of the frame.
With an eight-run seventh inning where the first eight batters reached base, the Eagles broke it open to take a 20-6 lead. Moore was hit by a pitch before three-straight walks scored the first run. Divittorio slugged a grand slam over the fence in right field and the Eagles kept it up on RBIs from Gaither and Moore.
Nico Felber got plenty of run support in his 6.0 innings where he allowed five runs while striking out five en route to his second win of the season.
Liam McCallum struck out two in a scoreless seventh before
Jaedin Hurd retired the side without a run in the eighth.
Justin Ritz struck out two more in a scoreless ninth.
CSU (7-19, 6-10 NEC) continues its series with the Spartans with a 1 pm first pitch on Saturday, April 13 before the finale on Sunday, April 14 at 12 pm.
