FREDERICK, Md. - Despite a lengthy weather delay, Eastern Baseball salvaged a doubleheader split with a 7-1 win over Hood in game two on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles built an early 4-0 lead, and after the weather, scored three insurance runs to secure the victory.
Sophomore southpaw
Gavin Mikulski (1-6) picked up his first win of the season with a solid outing. The Lansdale native scattered just four hits and allowed zero runs while striking out two in 4.1 innings of work.
Logan Culp was equally as efficient in relief, giving up just three hits and one run in the final 2.2 frames.
Evan Barks and
Matt McHale led off the contest with back-to-back singles, and after both advanced a base on a wild pitch, Cottrell laced a two-run single to center field to put the Eagles ahead 2-0.
Garrett Friend followed two batters later with a double down the left field line, and Cottrell would go on to score on a subsequent Hood throwing error, making it 3-0 after one inning of play. McHale made it a 4-0 Eastern advantage in the second inning on a sacrifice fly to left field.
After a scoreless third and fourth inning, the contest was halted as inclement weather descended upon the area. The long delay did not slow down the Eastern offense as the Eagles tacked on three more runs after the contest resumed.
David Hunsberger started the rally with an RBI single to right field, scoring
Logan Klember, before Barks singled down the left field line to plate Hunsberger for a 6-0 Eastern advantage. Barks later scored on a passed ball to cap off the frame. Hood broke the shutout bid with an RBI groundout from Ty Schwarzman in the seventh, but the Eagles held on to secure their 10th win of the year.
Barks and McHale each finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Cottrell finished with one hit and two runs batted in.
Cottrell (1-3) put together a solid pitching performance in game one, allowing just three hits and two earned runs while striking out four in six innings of work. However, after a double from Barks and a single from McHale in the first, the Eastern offense stalled. In total, the Eagles finished with just two hits and three total baserunners in the contest. Stephen Sommer's two-run single in the third proved to be all that was needed in a 2-0 win for the Blazers.
Eastern (10-26, 5-16) is back on action on Wednesday for its final non-conference contest of the season at Neumann. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 pm.
