The Delaware State baseball team split its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) doubleheader with Coppin State, losing game one 10-7 and then rallying back to take game two, 7-4 on Saturday.
In the matinee, Delaware State once again got the scoring started early off of solo home runs from Miguel Rivera and Alan Alonso to go up 2-0 in the top of the first.
Coppin State tied it up at two in the next half inning via a two-run home run.
Alonso put the lead back in favor of the Hornets in the top of the third with a double to the gap in left center scoring Alec Rodriguez for a 3-2 Delaware State advantage. One batter later, Trey Paige ripped his third home run of the season to add on to the Hornet lead, putting the game at 5-2 in the top of the third.
The Eagles came roaring back in their half of the third inning, using a six-run bottom of the third powered by a grand slam to retake the lead for good and sealing the game one victory.
Alonso, Rodriguez, Krew Bouldin and Robert Trujillo all recorded multi-hit performances in the first game. Alonso, Paige and Rodriguez all drove in two runs each.
The night cap started off with a scoreless first and second inning. Paige got the first of the game on the board in the top of the third by way of a sacrifice fly that scored Rivera to put Delaware State up 1-0.
In the top of the fourth, Mason Brewer doubled the Hornet lead with a sacrifice fly of his own to score Jordan King and extend the lead to 2-0. On the very next at-bat, Mike Worthington drilled a single back up the middle to score Evan Harris and put the game at 3-0 to end the fourth inning.
Delaware State capitalized on a wild pitch in the top of the fifth as Alonso came home to put the Hornets up 4-0.
In the seventh inning, Delaware State added three runs of insurance by way of a two-run single from Rodriguez and RBI-single from Harris and pushed the Hornets’ lead up to five (7-2).
Even though the Eagles got two back in the bottom of the seventh, Peter Carreca shut the door on a possible rally, preserving the game two win and his first save of the season.
Jordan Haddaway tossed six and two-thirds innings, scattered nine hits, struck out five and only surrendered four runs in route to his first win of the season.
Worthington paced the offense in game two with two hits and an RBI while Rodriguez led with two RBIs.