BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - Daniel Moore slugged a ninth-inning grand slam to lift the Coppin State baseball team to a 10-8 victory at NEC-leading Sacred Heart on Saturday afternoon at Veterans Park. The Eagles improved to 6-17 overall and 5-9 in the Northeast Conference while the Pioneers fell to 14-13 on the year and 11-3 in league play.
A junior infielder from Benton Harbor, Mich., Moore's first home run of the season came with one out and the Eagles, trailing, 8-6. Moore's shot sailed over the fence down the left field line, and he finished the day 2-for-5 .
Samuel Nieves, Anthony Divittorio and
Noah Murciano also had multi-hit games with Nieves, Divittorio and
Damon Gaither all scoring twice. Nieves, Gaither and
Braylon Watson all drove in runs as
Angel Colon was credited with a pair of RBIs.
After holding Sacred Heart to just three runs over the first six innings,
Alek Elges went 6.2 innings and allowed eight runs on ten hits while striking out four and walking none.
John Neeld finished the game, giving up just two hits and two walks while striking out two over the final 2.1 innings.
Coppin took an early 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first with Gaither driving in the first on a groundout. Divittorio and
Kai Holm started the game with back-to-back singles before both advanced on a passed ball. Holm later scored on a double to center field by Watson.
Elges struck out four over the first three innings and ten of the first 11 batters before Sacred Heart got on the board with a solo home run in the fourth. He also faced the minimum in the fifth after ending the inning with a 1-4-3 double play.
Sacred Heart took its first lead of the game with a two-run home run in the sixth, but Coppin answered with a three-run seventh to take a 5-3 lead. Divittorio led off with a double and got to third on an error before scoring as Nieves reached on a sacrifice bunt. Gaither scored from second after a throwing error, giving the Eagles the lead and a sacrifice fly by Colon extended the lead to two.
The hosts once again regained the lead with five runs in the bottom half of the inning to go up, 8-5.
Both teams went scoreless in the eighth before Coppin took the lead for good in its final at-bat. Gaither and Nieves led off with back-to-back walks before
Chris Marte loaded the bases with a walk. Colon also drew a walk, cutting the deficit to 8-6 before Moore's grand slam.
Neeld got a 1-2-3 ninth to seal the win to tie the series at one game apiece.
Coppin and Sacred Heart will close out the series at 12:00 pm on Sunday, April 7.
