TOWSON, Md. – Angel Colon slugged the first home run of his career, but the Coppin State baseball team fell at local rival Towson, 7-6, on Wednesday afternoon at Schuerholz Park. The Eagles fell to 9-20 on the year while the Tigers now stand at 10-26 overall.
A sophomore from Hawthorne, N.J., Colon went 3-for-4 with three RBI while scoring a run.
Damon Gaither and
Samuel Nieves both went 1-for-3 with a pair of runs and a walk while Gaither connected for his team-leading seventh home run of the season.
Chris Marte and
Daniel Moore were credited with RBIs as well.
Giovanni Canales took the loss, allowing seven runs on six hits 5.0 innings. Freshmen
Brandon Stephens and
Jackson Montgomery combined for three scoreless innings with Stephens giving up just one hit and striking out two in his two 2.0 innings of work.
Colon gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead with a two-run blast to left, but the Tigers came right back with three runs in their half of the inning. Gaither tied the score at three with a solo shot to right field in the third.
After Towson scored runs in the third and fourth to take a two-run lead, Coppin answered with three in the fifth to retake the lead at 6-5. Gaither drew a one-out walk and got to third on a single by Nieves. After a pitching change, Marte singled through the left side for an RBI, and Moore sacrificed in another run with a bunt to tie the score. Colon put the Eagles on top with an RBI single to left but was thrown out at second trying to stretch it to a double.
Canales kept CSU ahead with a scoreless fifth but allowed the first two hitters on base in the sixth. Stephens retired the next two hitters but the tying run came home on an interference call. The Tigers took back the lead on an RBI triple before Stephens retired the side on a groundout.
Gaither and Colon reached base in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively, but the Eagles were unable to extend either inning as Stephens and Montgomery held TU scoreless in the bottom halves.
CSU hosts Maryland Eastern Shore for a three-game NEC series on April 19-21 at Joe Cannon Stadium. Friday's game is scheduled for 3 pm, followed by a 1 pm start on Saturday and 12 pm on Sunday.
