The Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks completely flipped the script in the second leg of the doubleheader, defeating Towson 14-7 on Saturday to snap a 53-losing streak.
Last season, UMES went a program worst 0-48 overall and 0-30 in the NEC.
Despite the comfortable margin of victory, Towson had all the momentum in the game early. The Tigers jumped out to a five-run lead while forcing UMES to utilize three arms in the opening inning. Although UMES dealt with the early adversity, the Hawks were not deterred.
Starting from the second inning, the Maroon and Grey went on to outscore their opposition, 14-2, throughout the rest of the contest, including a stretch of 10 unanswered runs. The offensive efficiency began in the second inning with a solo home run to left field by Ryan Davis.
Maryland Eastern Shore showcased a good sense of patience at the plate in the third and fourth innings, generating four runs by drawing walks in bases loaded situations.
⚾️ The final out! ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/xqI3w5hnJU
— Hawk Baseball ⚾️ (@UMESHawkBase) February 23, 2025
UMES complemented those free passes with timely hitting. During the third inning, Ryan Howe produced a sacrifice fly, and Diego Aponte laced an RBI single to center field.
In the fourth inning, Aponte delivered again with a two-RBI single to left field and Ryan Davis smoked an RBI single to the third base side.
Defensively, Hunter Allen was a steady force on the mound for UMES, earning his first win of the season. After entering the game in the first inning, he provided a 4 1/3 innings relief effort that gave the Hawks offense a chance to get back in the game.
Once the Hawks took the lead, Head Coach Danny Acosta turned to Wilfredo Morales, who provided the best outing of any Maryland Eastern Shore pitcher this season. The left-handed pitcher provided an impressive four-inning save, striking out five Tigers while not giving up a single earned run.
An RBI double by Diego Aponte, a two-run home run by Ryan Howe, and an RBI double by Jason Brown allowed the Maroon and Grey offense to provide some extra insurance runs in the latter half of the game.
The Hawks went on to ice the game on a nice play by Ansel Carson and Diego Aponte to complete a 6-3 ground out for the final out, giving the Hawks the victory.
The win on Saturday was UMES’s first since an 18-4 win over Delaware State on May 20, 2023.
Courtesy: UMES Athletics
