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March 29, 2008
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - In one of the most exciting games played at Hawks Stadium in recent memory, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) picked up a very important conference win over local rival Delaware State University (DSU) 2-1 in extra innings. The Hawks dropped game one of the doubleheader 12-7 but with the one win moved to 4-1 overall in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). Game two was the definition of a pitcher's duel. UMES southpaw Mike Roberts faced off against the Hornet's Josh Schmidt and both went the complete game each allowing just one earned run. It was Roberts' day however as he would pick up his second win of the season, allowing just six hits, one walk and recording six Ks. Schmidt took the hard-luck loss, giving up five hits, one walk and ringing up 10 strike outs. He may have gotten the win, but we will never know because with two on no outs Phillip Vaughn hit a ball to DSU third baseman Jose Portella that looked like a routine out but he overthrew first base, Vaughn reached and Michael Guy, who led-off the inning with a single, scored from third, giving the Hawk's the win. UMES had taken a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Vaughn scored on a Pat Hercinger ground out. Vaughn had reached on a walk to start the inning and went to second on a Remo Orsini single. Roberts pitching was so good that it seemed a 1-0 win was in the Hawks' future. However, one inning later DSU catcher Wynton Weather tripled to center and scored on a Jamie Friel ground out to tie the game at one. The tie held until the eighth inning of a scheduled seven inning game when UMES got the big win over their local rival.
"This was a big, big win for us," said UMES Head Coach William Gardner. "We are 4-1 in the conference and to play that exciting of a game against our MEAC rival and get the win in an exciting fashion, it's just huge." The win was also a little revenge for a game one loss where the Hawks fell 12-7, giving up three runs in each of the first three innings. DSU jumped all over Hawk starter Ken Richardson. They chased him after six innings of work where he allowed 10 earned runs, six walks and 14 hits. He fell to 0-4. The Hornets got solid outings from Jim Johnson who was 4-5 with a run, Troy Drummond, who was 3-4 with two run and two RBI and Friel who went 3-5 with two runs and two RBI. JR McAllister got the win, along six runs, five earned, four walks and striking out six in seven and a third innings of work. The Hawks, who scored a single run in the first, second and sixth innings, closed the gap in the eighth inning, posting four runs off of a combination of McAllister and reliever Mike Ingram. In that inning, Russell Deutschmann got things started with a single through the left side. Tyler Love followed with another single, this one to center, and Jorge Pichardo then singled to right. Pichardo's single followed Love getting picked off at first, but still put runners on the corners. John Goray, playing in relief would load the bases with a walk. Ingram would then take over and give up a single to Josh Dunham who plated Deutschmann and keep the bases loaded. Vaughn then singled through the left to score two more runs. After a pop out Hercinger would walk and Ryan Coppi would follow with a single to through the left side to plate Dunham as Vaughn would be cut down at the plate. The four runs made it closer but not enough as they only managed a single from Pichardo in the ninth and fell by a final of 12-7. Pichardo was 3-5 in the game with a run and an RBI while five other Hawks had two hits each. Vaughn had two RBI while Deutschmann scored twice. Deutschmann was quite the contributor as he also came in to relieve Richardson, throwing three innings and allowing two unearned runs, four hits, one walk and recording one strike out. Like today's game one, tomorrow's single game will be featured on WTGM-AM 960 with the pre-game show starting at 11:50 before the first pitch scheduled for noon. The game can also be heard and seen with live streaming on the internet at www.umeshawks.com. |
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