SALISBURY, Maryland – It was a dramatic finish to the opener of a three-game set with Merrimack College for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team as Bryan Widdowson delivered a pinch hit walk off double to secure a 6-5 win for the Hawks on Friday, March 31.
 
The win moves the Hawks to 6-18 on the season and gives them their fourth Northeast Conference win of the season.
 
"Just walking one off for the boys, especially Caden (Parker) on his birthday, it's a really special moment," Widdowson said.
 
Lefty Kyle Speas drew his second straight weekend start for the Hawks, proving to be a vital part of the team's rotation moving forward.
 
"Coming in we thought he was a guy who could start," interim head coach Shawn Phillips said. "He was battling an injury before the season so now he's got back from that. He threw well last weekend and I thought there wasn't a need to go anywhere different."
 
Merrimack was able to get to Speas in the first inning on a double following a walk and a single, putting the Hawks down by two early.
 
Despite the initial runs, Speas would spin a strong six innings with just those two earned runs against, striking out one and walking one.
 
The Hawks weren't down for long to the Warriors, getting three themselves in the bottom of the second inning on two bases loaded plays. After scoring the first run on a Riley Horner walk, Derrick Mayes II reached on a Merrimack error that plated two and suddenly the Hawks had a 3-2 lead.
 
An extra run was scored on a moonshot in the third by Brantley Cutler, his third of the season and was special for the graduate student – it was the 29^th hit for number 29.
 
"That was a no doubter, that was fun to watch," Phillips said.
 
In the fifth the Hawks were hurt by a catcher's interference call and then an error, plating an unearned run for the visitors.
 
Gary Hallmen, Jr. and Nick Gatton cruised through the seventh and eighth innings out of the pen, preserving the lead until the top of the ninth for Caden Parker – who was celebrating his 20^th birthday the same day.
 
Parker ran into trouble following a walk and an error before retiring two Warriors, putting him in line for his sixth save of the season. Unfortunately, that error would come to hurt, as a two-run double would be hit to give Merrimack their first lead since the start of the game.
 
The Hawks weren't going to let Parker down on his birthday, picking him up in the bottom of the frame and delivering a theatrical finale.
 
Alex McCoy would lead off with a walk, followed by an intentional walk to Brian Cordell, putting two on with one out. Graduate student pinch hitters would finish things up for the Hawks, as Marcus Brown drew a full count walk to load the bases. Widdowson was calm at the plate by delivering a clutch liner to left center, driving in the winning run from second.
 
"We had a lot of guys on (today), we've had guys on (this season) and haven't been able to get them in – we got them in today when it mattered the most," Phillips said.
 
Offensively the Hawks were held to just four hits but took full advantage of them and seven free passes plus an intentional walk – both UMES multirun innings were fueled by bases loaded situations. Cordell led the team with two runs and Widdowson with two RBIs.
 
Gatton and Hallmen each pitched 1-2-3 innings during their appearances. Parker picked up his first win of the season.
 
The Hawks are back against Merrimack on Saturday (April 1) with first pitch expected at 2:00 p.m. at Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex. The game was originally set for 1:00 p.m. but moved back an hour due to incoming expected weather – updates will be available on both the University of Maryland Eastern Shore athletics website and on Twitter via @ESHawksBase.