Spartans, Aggies Split Doubleheader
NORFOLK, Va. - Norfolk State designated hitter James Taylor hit a walk-off RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead the Spartans to a 4-3 win in game one, but visiting North Carolina A&T bounced back with a 7-4 win in the nightcap as the teams split a MEAC baseball doubleheader on Saturday at Marty L. Miller Field.
NSU is now 8-15 on the year, 1-1 in the MEAC. The Aggies are 7-15, 1-1.
Game one was a pitcher's duel between NSU right hander Ryan Shook and North Carolina A&T lefty Esterlin Paulino. Both pitchers gave up two runs in the first. North Carolina A&T jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Carvell Copeland and Andre McKoy led off with back-to-back singles and scored on sacrifice fly balls by Xavier Macklin and Luke Tendler.
NSU answered with two runs in the bottom of the first. Taylor led off by reaching on an A&T error. John Lynch followed with a sharp single, and both runners moved up on an overthrow by the Aggie outfield. John Rasberry's singled down the left-field line to score both runners and tie the game.
NSU took a 3-2 lead in the fifth. Ryan Montgomery led off with a single and stole second base. He moved to third on a groundout and scored on Rasberry's two-out infield single.
The Aggies tied things at 3-all in the top of the eighth on Marquis Riley's two-out solo homer.
Montgomery got NSU's ninth-inning rally started with a one-out double, his career-high third hit of the game. He moved up to third on a fly out. With two outs, Taylor's liner on an 0-1 count fell into center field for the winning hit.
Ryan VanAssche (3-2) got the win for NSU, pitching a scoreless top of the ninth. It didn't come without some adventure. NSU dodged a bullet as Luke Tendler led off with a double to right-center. He tried to stretch it into a triple, but Spartan second baseman Sammy Serafine's relaythrow from short center field was in time for Montgomery to tag Tendler out at third.
Both starting pitchers were effective, but neither factored into the decision. Shook pitched a career-high eight innings, allowing just six hits and three runs. He walked three and struck out five. He allowed just four hits after getting off to a rocky start in the top of the first.
Paulino struck out seven in 6.1 innings of work. He allowed three runs, one earned.
Rasberry was 2-for-3 with three RBI in the opener. Taylor went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, and Montgomery went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Copeland had two hits for A&T.
In the nightcap, the Aggies again struck in their first at-bat. McKoy reached on an error and scored on Macklin's sacrifice fly.
NSU responded with two runs in the bottom of the first. Taylor led off with another base hit, and Lynch doubled him home. Montgomery knocked in Lynch with an RBI single to give NSU a 2-1 lead.
The Aggies made it 3-2 in the second as Dario Little scored on a wild pitch and Copeland hit a run-scoring infield single.
The Spartans tied it up in the bottom of the fifth. Taylor and Lynch were again in the middle of the rally, leading off with consecutive singles. They moved up on a sacrifice, and Taylor scored on Brandon Hairston's RBI groundout.
But A&T took advantage of an NSU error and a couple of walks to score three times in the top of the sixth. Mark Nales hit an RBI single for the tie-breaking hit. Later, Macklin walked with the bases loaded and McKoy came around on a passed ball to make it 6-3 in A&T's favor.
The Aggies' lead stretched to 7-3 in the seventh on a Stefan Jordan RBI double.
NSU made it interesting in the bottom of the seventh. Rasberry singled with two outs. A&T pitchers then issued three straight walks - two by starter Nick Oelker (3-2) and one by reliever Tyler Boone - to force in a run and cut NSU's deficit to 7-4. But Boone retired Cameron Parsons on a fielder's choice grounder to end it.
Oelker got the win by pitching 6.2 innings, allowing nine hits and four runs. Boone recorded a save by getting the final out. Richie Salter (1-1) got the loss for NSU, allowing two unearned runs in two-thirds of an inning.
Copeland, Jordan and McKoy had two hits each for the Aggies in the nightcap. Taylor, who went 4-for-8 on the day, went 2-for-3 and scored twice for the Spartans in the nightcap. Rasberry also had two hits in each game, finishing the day 4-for-6. Lynch added a pair of hits in game two, and Montgomery had four hits on the day.
For the complete story, visit www.nsuspartans.com or www.ncataggies.com
Foreman, Witte Lead Umes In Doubleheader Sweep Of CSU, 16-6, 6-2
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - Behind a pair of complete games on the mound, Maryland Eastern Shore team defeated Coppin State, 16-6 and 6-2, in a doubleheader at Hawks Stadium Saturday.
Junior right-hander Jacob Foreman pitched eight strong innings for his first UMES win in Game 1, scattering 10 hits, five earned runs and two walks. He struck out four batters in 127 pitches.
Senior righty Matt Witte went all seven in the nightcap, giving up seven hits and two runs - both earned - with three walks and six strikeouts.
The sweep improved UMES to 3-19 (2-0 MEAC) while Coppin State fell to 2-18 (0-2).
The Hawks banged out 22 runs and 25 hits on the day, batting .362 in the doubleheader. Luis Mena led the way, going 6-for-10 at the plate with two doubles and four RBI. Bryan Chaikowsky chipped in with a 5-for-9 twinbill with two doubles, a triple, two runs scored and seven RBI.
UMES built a 4-1 lead over the first five innings of the opener. James Newsome scored after getting on with a throwing error and swiping second base. Chaikowsky drove him in with a groundout to second for the lead.
Chaikowsky doubled to left-center field to score Shaquille Bagwell from first in the third inning to make it 2-0, and Elliott Alston came in on an error by Will Butler in the fourth.
Coppin State touched Foreman (1-4) for its first run in the fifth. Andrew Kiessling and Chris Kashangaki reached on an error and single to start the inning before Alex Black moved both with a groundout. Then, Kiessling got in a rundown and was able to scamper home prior to Craig Richmond recording the final out of the frame at second.
UMES scored 12 runs in the sixth seventh and eighth innings to end the game. Mena ripped a two-out single up the middle to plate Tre-von Johnson and Newsome after the Eagles had tied things, 4-4, with three in the top of the sixth.
UMES added four more in the seventh to open a 10-6 advantage on consecutive two-run hits by Johnson and Chaikowsky. Johnson to a 1-0 pitch to right center and Chaikowsky followed with a full-count triple to right.
The game ended in the eighth when UMES scored six times on four hits and an error, keyed by two-run doubles by Newsome and Chaikowsky.
Derek Richards (1-2) took the loss in relief for the Eagles. He went 1.2 innings, surrendering seven hits and 10 runs.
Eight UMES players collected at least one hit in Game 1. Chaikowsky finished 3-for-5 with a season-high six RBI. Zach Spahn went 2-for-4 with two RBI at the plate while starting on the mound and earning a no decision in six innings.
Witte (1-3) pitched five shutout innings as UMES rallied for a 5-0 lead in the in Game 2.
Mena laced an RBI double to right field in the first to score Johnson who tripled. Mena hit another run- scoring double in the third to plate Chaikowsky in the third on a 2-0 advantage.
Then, in the fourth, UMES scored three times on three straight Eagles' errors and that was enough insurance for Witte finish his second game of the season.
Newsome, Johnson, Chaikowsky and Mena each had two hits for UMES in the second game and Johnson scored twice to complete the sweep. Jesse Savage led CSU, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases in the loss.
For the complete story, visit www.umeshawks.com or www.coppinstatesports.com
Bethune-Cookman Takes Two From FAMU, 6-3, 7-5
DAYTON BEACH, Fla. (March 26) - Florida A&M dropped a doubleheader, 6-3 and 7-5 to Bethune-Cookman, Saturday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Park.
FAMU finished with game high 10 hits, while B-CU tallied seven hits.
The Rattlers were paced by Tobi Adeyemi, Jarryd Reid and Jimmie Terrell as they all finished with two hits each for FAMU.
The Wildcats were led by P.J. Biocic as he finished with a team high three hits.
Jairo Acevedo picked up the win for B-CU as he gave up one hit, one earned run and struck out one in two and one-third innings of relief, while Jordan Dailey (2) picked up the save for the Wildcats.
Heath Blackburn received the loss for FAMU as he gave up seven hits, four earned runs and striking out three in eight innings of work.
In game two, FAMU would grab an early 4-0 lead as Adeyemi scored on a Reid single center field. Then Justin Abney would hit bases loaded clearing double to left center scoring Oscar Santalo, Jarryd Reid and Corey Franklin, in the top of the first inning.
FAMU (8-19, 0-2 MEAC) would outhit B-CU (13-13, 2-0 MEAC) 10-5.
B-CU would cut FAMU's lead 4-3 on an Emmanuel Castro three-run homer to left field in the bottom of the first inning.
Franklin would pace the Rattlers from the plate as he tallied a team high three hits, while Abney drove in a team high four runs.
The Wildcats had five players to finish with one hit each.
Patrick Goelz (2-2) would get the win for B-CU as he gave up four hits, one earned runs and striking out six is four and two-third innings of work, while Tim Jones (1-4) took the loss for FAMU as he left the game early with an injury, giving up one hit, three earned runs and striking out one in two-third innings.
For the complete story, visit www.famurattlersports.com or www.bcuatheltics.com
Hornets Take Two From Eagles
Dover, Del. (Mar. 26, 2011) --- Freshman Matt McClain tossed a complete game to lead Delaware State to a 7-1 non-conference victory over North Carolina Central in the second game of a doubleheader at Soldier Field this afternoon. Ryan Haas had three hits and three runs batted in to lift the Hornets to a 7-5 victory in the opener.
McClain, a former Polytech HS standout, scattered seven singles, while striking out five to improve to 2-3 this season. His effort also marked DSU's second complete game victory of the season.
Scott Davis had three hits and Aaron Nardone was 2-for-3 with two RBI to lead the Hornets' 11-hit attack in the nightcap.
Delaware State (8-14) trailed 1-0 before Eddie Sorondo and Brandon Crist drove in fourth inning runs to give the Hornets a 2-1 lead. DSU stretched its lead to 4-1 on run scoring hits by Nardone and Tony Gatto in the fifth inning.
Nardone knocked in his second run of the game in the Hornets' three-run sixth inning.
In the opener, Haas had run-scoring hits in the first, third and fifth innings. His fifth inning single gave the Hornets a 4-0 lead.
Delaware State scored three unearned runs in the seventh to open up a 7-0 lead.
For the complete story, visit www.dsuhornets.com or www.nccueaglpride.com
Tigers Fall In Extra Innings
SAVANNAH, Ga.- Miguel Camacho hit a three-run home run for Chicago State but it was Gavin Trevino's sacrifice fly in the top of the tenth that allowed the winning run to score to give the Cougars a 10-9 win over Savannah State at Tiger Field.
Tony Sanchez led off the tenth with a walk for Chicago State. He advanced to second on a ground out by Weston Lewis, stole third on a wild pitch and scored the game winning run on Trevino's fly out to right field.
Savannah State had their chance in the bottom of the inning but came up empty.
Joseph McCrary led off with a single and Dexter Kelley was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs. A ground out by Peter Poole allowed the runners to advance a base and Matt Nowacki was intentionally walked to load the bases. However the game ended when Chris Arnold hit into a double play.
McCrary led SSU with four hits while Emory Barkley and Nowacki each had three hits. For the second day in a row, Barkley had three doubles.
Chicago State won the game despite making six errors and being out-hit 18 to 11.
McCrary hit a RBI single in the first inning and Nowacki hit a RBI triple in the second to put SSU out in front 2-0.
The Cougars answered with 3 runs in top of the third but Savannah State answered in the bottom of the inning with a RBI triple from McCrary and a RBI double from Barkley to re-gain the lead 4-3.
William Hill hit a solo homer in the fifth for Chicago State to tie the game at four.
SSU went ahead 6-4 with a run in the sixth and another in the seventh as Julius Green hit a sacrifice fly to score Chris Arnold who led off the sixth with a double and Cordarian Robertson, who was pinch running for Barkley who led off with a double, scored on an error.
Camacho's three run homer in the eighth gave Chicago State a 7-6 edge but the Tigers responded with a two-run double by Poole to take a 8-7 lead in the bottom of the inning.
Chicago State scored twice in the ninth to go ahead 9-7 but Todd Hagen hit a sacrificed fly in the bottom of the inning to tie it at nine apiece.
Michael Allegretti struck out four batters in 4.2 innings but it was Andrew Gannen who took the loss for SSU (13-11).
Hill had three hits and Camacho drove in three runs for Chicago State (3-10). Jose Leon got the win while Caleb Fialka earned the save.
SSU stranded 13 base runners during the contest.
For the complete story, visit
www.ssuathletics.com