Baseball Rallies For 9-8 Road Triumph Over Coppin State

(boxscore)

3/31/05 -- Junior Nate Olson (Poland, Maine) belted a two-out double to right center to lift Long Island University to a 9-8 victory over Coppin State in college baseball action Thursday in Glen Burnie, Md.

The Blackbirds (4-8) exploded for four unanswered runs on five hits in the decisive eighth frame. With one out and two runners aboard, sophomore Marcus Wynn (Plainfield, N.J.) began the RBI rally with a single into right to score Chris Brescia (Nanuet, N.Y.). A fielder’s choice from Robbie Rowen (Rosendale, N.Y.) plated Danny Etkin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) to pull LIU to 8-7.

Eagles closer Jesus Melendez -- the third pitcher of the frame -- saw Olson connect for the tying and go-ahead RBI before getting Sean Durkin to ground out.

The Blackbirds got on the board with two runs in the first inning on a series of base hits. Olson registered his first RBI of the game on a single to left that plated Wynn.

In the second, with runners on first and third, Michael Sudberg (Great Neck, N.Y.) smashed a sacrifice fly to right field to plate Brescia. Sophomore Trey Bell (Georgetown, Del.) followed with a single to score Wynn as the Blackbirds took a 4-0 lead.

In the fourth, Brian Vickers and Justin Riggs each singled to start the inning for Coppin State and Nick Wenger was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Paul Conway drove in the first Eagles run with an RBI single and Carlos D’Costa’s two-run single scored Riggs and Conway, cutting the Blackbirds’ lead to 4-3.

The Blackbirds surrendered two more in the fifth as the home team took a 5-4 advantage. LIU knotted the game in the sixth inning on a double into right field from Brescia who then scored on an error by Eagles shortstop Paul Conway.

Coppin State regained the lead in the bottom frame on a three-run triple from Vickers, to take a comfortable 8-5 edge. The Blackbirds responded with the rallying victory

LIU freshman Andy Yawger (Morristown, N.J.) struck out four over 3 2/3 innings, permitting no runs and one hit. Matt Bellon suffered the loss for Coppin State, hurling five complete innings, giving up one run on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

Olson collected two hits and drove in three runs. Brescia was 3-for-4 at the plate, scoring three runs, and Etkin went 2-for-3.