Princess Anne, Md. (Apr. 18, 2015) --- The Delaware State baseball team continued its struggles against UMES this season, falling to the Hawks 11-3 and 6-5 in a MEAC North doubleheader this afternoon. The Hornets have dropped all five meetings with UMES this season.
In the opener, catcher Justin Dattilo drove in four runs and second baseball Mike Escanilla was four-for-four with five runs scored to lead the Hawks.
UMES starter Jesse Stinnett (4-5) defeated the Hornets for the second time this season. Stinnett allowed six hits and two runs, while striking out four and walking two in seven innings.
Jaylen Zielecki smacked a solo homer and Ron Farley drove in two runs for the Hornets.
UMES opened the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Escanilla scored the first run on a Hornet error and Datillo drove in a run on a groundout in the inning. DSU committed five errors in the opener.
The Hawks added two runs in the third to open up a 4-0 lead. Datillo knocked in his second run of the game on a sacrifice fly in the third.
UMES stretched its lead to 6-0 with two runs in the fourth.
The Hornets got on the board when Zielecki led off the fifth inning with his second home run of the season.
DSU added a run in the sixth to pull to within 6-2. Chris Gonzalez singled with two outs and crossed the plate when Farley followed with a double.
UMES answered with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to go ahead 9-2. Datillo's two-run single was the big blow in the inning.
DSU starter Lane DeLeon (3-4) allowed nine hits and nine runs, although just two were earned, in six innings to take the loss.
In the nightcap, UMES scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to win the seven-inning contest. The Hornets led 5-4 heading into the Hawks' last at bat.
DSU trailed 3-2 before scoring three in the top of the sixth inning to take the lead. Gonzalez singled to lead off the inning, and advanced to third when Farley followed with a single to right field. After a pitching change, Zielecki brought Gonzalez home on a sacrifice fly to tie the game. The next batter, Austin Bentley, doubled to left field to put runners at third and second. Two batters later, Charles Dailey singled to center to score pinch runner Justin Allen and Bentley to give the Hornets a 5-3 lead.
UMES scored a run in the bottom of the sixth to cut DSU's lead to 5-4.
The Hornets put a man on base in the top of the seventh inning, but failed to add to their lead.
In the Hawks' seventh, lead-off batter Skylar Murray reached base on an infield single off DSU reliever Gabe Rivera. Isaiah Chambers, a pinch runner for Murray, stole second; and moved to third when Troy Anderson followed with a bunt single. Anderson advanced to second when the next batter, Conner Breslin, fouled out to the catcher for the first out of the inning. Grayson Trower then reached base on an infield single, with Chambers scoring on the play to tie the game at 5-5. The Hawks had the bases loaded with two outs when Joshua James reached base on a fielder's choice off Hornet reliever Garrett Coverdale to score Trower with the winning run.
Rivera (0-1) was tagged with the loss for the Hornets, while UMES reliever Toby Hoskins (2-2) was the winning pitcher.
Cameron Onderko, David Kimbrough and Gonzalez had two hits each for the Hornets in the nightcap.
DSU in now 8-24 overall and 7-10 in the MEAC, while UMES improved to 13-23 and 11-6.
The series will conclude with a single game on Sunday. The first pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. in Princess Anne, Md.
