A five-run eighth inning propelled Coppin State’s baseball team to a 9-4 MEAC victory at Norfolk State on Sunday afternoon at Marty Miller Field. The Eagles improve to 9-14 overall and lead the conference with a 5-3 mark in league play after splitting the four-game series with the Spartans.
Tied at 4-4 going into the eighth, Coppin put together five base hits and took advantage of two NSU errors to score five runs. Josh Hankins started the inning by reaching on an error before stealing second. Corey Miley’s third base hit of the game moved him to third and Miley also stole second. Pinch hitter Darren Hagan laid down a bunt single to give Coppin its first lead of the game at 5-4 with just one out.
Hagan then stole second before Wellington Balsley drove in both him and Miley, extending the lead to three runs. Balsley later scored on a wild pitch, as did Brian Nicolas later in the frame after he singled, stole second and advanced to third on the throwing error.
Marcos Herrand, who picked up his first career win, walked the first batter of the bottom half but forced a 6-4-3 double play before getting another groundout to get out of the inning. Coppin threatened once again in the ninth, loading the bases to no avail, but it didn’t mater as Herrand got a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
Herrand did not allow a single hit in his 3.0 innings of relief as he struck out two and walked one on just 31 pitches. Jordan Hamberg did not factor in the decision as he gave up just three earned runs on five hits in 6.0 innings.
Coppin racked up 12 base hits, led by Miley’s 3-for-4 effort as the infielder also scored a run, drove in a run and drew a walk. Miley also stole two bases as the Eagles were credited with eight stolen bases on the day, matching a season-high which was set in game two yesterday.
Nicolas, Sebastien Sarabia and Toran Smith all had two hits apiece with Smith recording the team’s only extra-base hit with a double. Sarabia and Smith also drove in runs and drew a walk while Nicolas scored twice and stole two bases.
Balsley was the only CSU player with multiple RBIs as he also scored twice and drew a walk.
The Eagles put themselves in a 3-0 hole after the first inning but pulled to within one in the second after an RBI single by Miley, followed by an RBI double from Smith. Norfolk got one of the runs back in the third before Coppin tied it with an RBI single by Sarabia in the fifth and an error in the seventh.
Hamberg kept Coppin in the game by holding Norfolk scoreless in his last three innings and retiring the final five batters he faced.