Box Score

ETTRICK, Va. – The Chowan University Baseball team came from behind to defeat Virginia State, 15-7, as the Hawks pounded out 24 hits in the opening contest of the 2017 CIAA Baseball Championships on Thursday afternoon.  The Hawks await the winner between Winston-Salem State and St. Augustine's.

THE BASICS

FINAL | Chowan 15, Virginia State 7

LOCATION | Ettrick, Va. (Whaley Colbert Field)

RECORDS | Chowan 26-23, Virginia State 19-25

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

Harry Markotay and Connor Arcobasso led the Hawks with four hits each.  Markotay went 4-5 at the plate with four RBI, a double and a walk.  Arcobasso drove in three runs and scored three runs.

Marvin Harrell Jr., Zack Cooper, Julian Lopez, and Tyler Jones tallied three hits apiece.

Jake Moore picked up the win in relief tossing 4.1 innings allowing one run off five hits and striking out four.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Chowan faced in early deficit to start off the contest as Virginia State scored three runs in the opening frame.  VSU's Gunn delivered a two-run home run to cap off the early rally.

The Hawks responded in the bottom of the inning to close the gap to 3-2.  Connor Arcobasso started off the inning with an infield single and moved to second on a throwing error.  Marvin Harrell Jr. would bring Acrobasso around to score on a triple in the right center gap.  Harry Markotay doubled to left to bring in Harrell from third to close the gap to 3-2 heading to the second inning.

Virginia State widened their lead to 6-2 after a two-run home run in the top of the second and tacked on a run in the third stringing together two hits and a walk in the inning.

Chowan started their comeback in the bottom of the third inning cutting the deficit to 6-4.  Marquise Lanier started the inning with a single to center field.  Marvin Harrell Jr. pushed Lanier to second after reaching on an error.  Both Harrell and Lanier would move up 90 feet on a successful double steal with no outs in the inning.  A RBI groundout and a Trojan miscue allowed the Hawks to score two runs.

Jake Moore would take over on the mound for the Hawks in the top of the fourth inning sitting the Trojans down in order.

Julian Lopez' double to start the bottom of the fourth allowed the Hawks to inch closer in the contest.  Connor Arcobasso singled to bring home Lopez to cut the deficit to 6-5.

Chowan would take their first lead of the contest and not look back in the bottom of the fifth, as the Hawks scored twice to lead 7-6.  Zack Cooper started the inning with a single to center field.  After a groundout and a passed ball, the tying run was 90 feet away.  Harry Markotay doubled to left center to knot the contest at 6-all.  Kyle Cross and Tyler Jones picked up singles to bring home Markotay and give the Hawks a 7-6 lead.  Connor Arcobasso produced a two-out single to load the bases but a fielder's choice ended the inning.

The Hawks would add some insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh scoring seven runs to widen their lead to 14-6.  Julian Lopez singled and swiped second to start the rally.  Tyler Jones produced a base knock before scoring with Lopez on a Connor Arcobasso two RBI single to center.  Marquise Lanier doubled down the left field line scoring Arcobasso.

After the VSU pitching change, Lanier moved up to third on a wild pitch and allowed Marvin Harrell Jr. to draw the walk.  Harrell's steal of second allowed Lanier to score on the throw moving the Hawks' lead to 11-6.  Trent Brosdahl drew a walk before Harry Markotay doubled down the left field line for the 12-6 advantage.  Brosdahl would score on a passed ball before Kyle Cross brought home Markotay on a RBI single.

Virginia State tried to claw their way back into the contest in the top of the eighth cutting into the deficit 14-7.  VSU started the inning with a lead-off single.  Trojan's Talley doubled to left to bring in the run.

Bailey Lipscomb relieved Jake Moore on the mound getting a pop-up and a strikeout to end the bases loaded threat in the eighth.

Chowan tacked on the final run in the bottom of the eighth to push their advantage to 15-7.

In the top of the ninth, the Trojans singled and walked to start the inning but a fly out and a pair of strikeouts ended the contest.

UP NEXT

Chowan moves on to the winner's bracket in the 2017 CIAA Baseball Championships on Friday, May 5.  The Hawks will await the winner between Winston-Salem State and St. Augustine's.  First pitch is slated for 1:00pm.