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Coppin State Out Slugs Delaware State for MEAC Baseball Title

A.D. Drew • May 22, 2022

Coppin State Out Slugs Delaware State for MEAC Baseball Title

MAY 21, 2022 | NORFOLK, VA

In a game that, offensively, resembled a football score and had the pace of a slow-pitch softball game, Coppin State out slugged Delaware State 18-12 to claim the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Baseball Tournament Championship. The two teams combined for 30 runs, 27 hits, 24 left on base, 23 walks, 10 wild pitches, 5 hit batters, and 3 errors in the 4 hour and 26-minute ball game to decide the conference's automatic bid for the NCAA D-I baseball tournament. 

After being forced into an “IF” game, Coppin State jumped on Delaware State early in the decisive game. Wellington Balsley walked to lead off the game. The next batter, Josh Hankins, was hit by a pitch. After a failed pickoff attempt that wound up in center field, (runners advanced to 2nd and 3rd), Jordan Hamberg doubled down the left field line to plate two. After two walks, Landen Argabright hit a stand-up double, to the left-centerfield wall, to clear the bases and put the Eagles up 5-0 entering the bottom of the 1st. 

Delaware State got on the board in the bottom of the 2nd inning.  Brady Daniels singled up the middle to   lead off the inning and advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch.  Alan Alonson doubled to left-center to give the Eagles a run.  Joh Neeld, of Coppin State, was able to pitch out of the jam without any further damage. 

Giovanni Canales relieved Neeld with 1-out in the 3rd to keep the Hornets from putting up an additional run.  After two walks by Neeld, Canales stuck out Brady Daniels and got Alec Rodrigues to pop up to the shortstop (Josh Hankins) in foul territory to retire the side. 

Coppin State was unable to repeat their defensive performance in the next inning.  A one-out walk to Jordan King, followed by another walk to Mike Worthington, and a single to Miguel Rivera, loaded the bases for Trey Paige.  After Paige’s pop-out for the second out, Krew Bouldin and Brady Daniels walked.  Alan Alonso then singled up the middle to score two more and tie the game at 5-5. 


The Hornets bats continued to be hot in the 5th inning.  Mason Brewer was hit by a Canales pitch to open the inning.  Reliver Johan Freudenburg came in and walked the next two batters.  Rashad Ruff then came to the mound, and gave up an RBI single to Rivera, allowing Mason Brewer to come home.  King was caught in a run-down between 3rd and home. For the 1st out of the inning.  Trey Paige hit a sacrifice fly to short centerfield to allow Mike Worthington to score.  Delaware State now led 7-5 after 5 innings. 

The Eagles finally ended their scoring drought in the 7th.  Brian Nicolas started the 2-out rally with a solo homerun to right field.  The next batter, Mike Dordean singled to left field.  After a wild pitch advanced Dorcean to 2nd, Matt Day collected an RBI single.  Day stole 2nd, and then Marcos Castillo singled to right to allow Coppin State to regain the lead 8-7. 


The Hornets answered the Eagles with 4 runs of their own in the bottom of the 7th.  Brewer drew a walk to start the inning.  King doubled to right field.  After a Worthington ground out with the infield in, Rivera singled to left, scoring Brewer.  Next, Paige, also singled to left field, scoring King.  Bouldin singled to center field to score Rivera and Daniels hit a sacrifice fly to left center to score Paige.  Delaware State led 11-8 after 7 innings complete. 

Coppin State closed the gap with another 2-out rally.  Sarabia and Corey Miley drew 2-out walks.  A wild pitch advanced the runner to second and third.  Brian Nicolas knocked in both runners with his double to left-center field.  Coppin closed the deficit to 11-10 entering the bottom of the 8th inning.  Delaware State put two runners on but Rashad Ruff was able to get out of the inning without allowing an additional run.  


The ninth inning did not disappoint Eagle fans.  Matt Day began the last frame with a leadoff triple.  Next, Castillo had an infield single, but Day held at 3rd with the infield drawn in.  Balsey was intentionally walked to load the bases.  Hankins singled to center to score Day and Castillo.  Sabaria followed with a single to right to plate Balsey and Hankins.  Nicolas walked to load the bases again and Mike Dorcean cleared the bases with a double to right field.  Bases would be loaded again in the inning, and Dorcean would tally the final Coppin State run via the walk drawn by Balsey.  

With the thunderstorms rapidly approaching, Paige would lead off the bottom of the ninth inning with a single.  He would ultimately score on Alan Alonso’s ground out to 1st base for the final run of the tournament.  The final score of the “IF” game would be Coppin State Eagle 18, Delaware State Hornets 12. 


Brian Nicolas of Coppin State was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Performer.  For more MEAC tournament  information, visit https://meacsports.com/tournaments/?id=2606.


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