LEIPSIC, Del. (Interstat) — The Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks erupted for seven runs in the first inning and then held off a furious late rally by the Delaware State Hornets to secure a 7-5 victory in Northeast Conference baseball action Sunday afternoon and evening at Soldier Field.

The win gave the Hawks (7-24, 3-3 NEC) the series victory, taking two of three games from their conference rival. The Hornets fell to 3-28 overall and 1-5 in league play.

Maryland-Eastern Shore’s entire offensive output was concentrated in two explosive frames, beginning with a stunning first inning against Delaware State starter Eddie Del Valle. Julian Jimenez led off the game with a solo home run. After an error extended the inning, Bronson Taylor launched a two-run homer to cap the seven-run outburst, which included a two-run single from Diego Aponte.

That early barrage was more than enough for Hawks starter Cade Williams, who delivered a dominant performance. The right-hander pitched six strong innings, allowing just one unearned run on four hits while striking out six. His outing provided crucial stability for a Hawks team that had struggled on the mound recently, including a tough loss for Williams in his previous start.

Delaware State’s bullpen, led by Chase Snavely, kept the game within reach after the rocky start. Snavely entered in the fifth and provided 4 1/3 innings of relief, allowing just one run on seven hits to give his team a chance.

The most important part of the game came in the bottom of the eighth inning, as the Hornets mounted a dramatic comeback attempt against the Hawks’ bullpen. Trailing 7-1, Delaware State sent 10 men to the plate and scored four runs. The rally was highlighted by a two-run home run from Alec Rodriguez and a two-run single from Rosnell Lewis, cutting the deficit to 7-5. The Hornets had the tying run at the plate with two runners on base before a strikeout ended the threat.

Maryland-Eastern Shore added a critical insurance run in the top of the ninth on a solo home run by catcher Jonathan Gonzalez Perez, his first of the season.

Hawks reliever Janluis Santiago then worked a perfect ninth inning to record the save, sealing the victory after the late scare.

Bronson Taylor led the Hawks’ 15-hit attack, going 3 for 5 with a home run and two RBIs. Jimenez also had three hits, including his leadoff homer. For Delaware State, which collected 12 hits, Hassan Turner went 3 for 4 with two doubles and Alec Rodriguez drove in two runs with his late homer.

The result defied pregame projections from Interstat, which gave Delaware State a 60.9% probability to win and simulated a 2-1 Hornets victory.

Maryland-Eastern Shore next hosts Mercyhurst for a three-game series beginning Friday. Delaware State travels to face in-state foe Delaware on Tuesday before a conference series at Central Connecticut starting Friday.