Maryland Eastern Shore Tops Norfolk State, 2-1

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - Norfolk State committed a pair of costly two-out errors in the bottom of the ninth that allowed Maryland Eastern Shore to score the winning run in a 2-1 Hawks' victory on Sunday afternoon at Hawks Stadium.

The Spartans fall to 12-18 overall, 5-2 in the MEAC with the loss. UMES is now 5-27, 4-5.

The game was tied one-all entering the bottom of the ninth inning. With one out, Shaquille Bagwell drew a walk from NSU reliever Ryan VanAssche (4-3). Bagwell was erased on a fielder's choice ground ball hit by James Newsome for the second out of the inning. Tre-von Johnson followed with a grounder that would have gotten the Spartans out of the inning, but the ball was misplayed for an error that left runners on first and second.

Bryan Chaikowsky followed with an infield single to second, but a last-gasp attempt to throw him out at first got by first baseman Brandon Hairston. That allowed Newsome to score from second with the winning run.

VanAssche took the loss despite allowing just two hits and one unearned run in 2.2 innings. Karim Gonzalez (2-6) earned the win for the Hawks with 1.1 scoreless innings of relief.

Both teams had seven hits. NSU's hits came from seven different players, while Chaikowsky had three of UMES' seven hits.

For the complete story, visit www.nsuspartans.com or www.umeshawks.com

B-CU Complete the Sweep of the Aggies with 10-7 Comeback and Dominating 11-1 Finale

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Wildcats wrapped up a solid weekend of baseball Sunday against North Carolina A&T. The Wildcats got behind early in game two with North Carolina A&T before the game was suspended, for weather concerns, on Saturday afternoon. Returning on Sunday, the Wildcats scored steadily and played tough defense to catch up to the Aggies, then push past them with a 10-7 victory. Rolling on the momentum from the comeback, B-CU took and early lead in game three, but exploded late for an 11-1 rout in seven innnings to make the 3-0 sweep and stay perfect in MEAC play.

GAME TWO:

In the top of the third, officials suspended play on the game, but the Aggies got a quick jump on B-CU, scoring four in the second, taking a 4-0 lead when play was suspended. B-CU got off to an early start at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, with bases loaded and just one out, the Wildcats worked to get out of the early jam, but the deficit remained. The Aggies walked in one run right away, and Peter O'Brien's sacrifice fly to left allowed DJ Leonard to come home on the throw, but the Aggies were able to steal both back on a missed pop-up in the infield and a later sac fly, ending the third with North Carolina A&T up 6-2.

After earning his fifth save in game one, Jordan Dailey (1-1) took the mound for the Wildcats in the bottom of the fourth, collecting three straight outs to keep the difference to two runs.

Peter O'Brien bunted to open the fifth, but quickly advanced to third on a Matt Wright single to right, coupled with a fielding error in the Aggie outfield, then made his way home on the Nick Johnson RBI through the left side. Brashad Johnson picked up another RBI, batting in Wright and knotting up the score at six all on a single through the left side.

The Wildcats took their first lead in the top of the fifth on a Brandon Turner sac fly to center field which brought in Nick Johnson on the throw.

North Carolina A&T got on the board once again to tie it at seven all in the bottom of the sixth, on an RBI double. One more hit loaded the corners, but the 'Cats retired the side with minimal damage.

Joseph Munoz took over on the mound to close the game in the bottom of the seventh, facing the core of North Carolina A&T's order. Munoz  did not  allow any runs, wrapping the inning, the game, and the save (2) with one of his two strikeouts for the 10-7 win.

Dailey earned the win, allowing just one run, with two strikeouts in three innings pitched.

GAME THREE:

Bethune-Cookman strung together several innings with strong hitting and stifling defense to put together a dominating 11-1 victory in seven innings by run rule.

The Wildcats kept the momentum going from game two early into the third game of the series, taking the first frame lead on a two-RBI double from Nick Johnson in.

However, the North Carolina A&T defense clamped down and kept the Wildcats off the base path until the fourth inning, while notching a run of their own to make it a 2-1 game.

B-CU created some separation in the top of the fourth with a Brashad Johnson sacrifice bunt made safe on a throwing error by the pitcher, which pushed in two runs, batting in Castro on the play, and Nick Johnson taking home on the throw to make it a three-run lead.

Peter O'Brien put out a solid encore inning for B-CU in the fifth, crushing a two-run homer at least 60 feet beyond the left field fence to make it a five-run lead.

Designated hitter Anthony Stokes made it three straight innings for B-CU with at least two runs, as he fired a triple to the center field wall for two RBI, batting in Cesar Rivera and Brashad Johnson. But Emmanuel Castro busted open the inning even further, hitting a three-RBI double to right center to send the game to a ten-run lead.

Starter Patrick Goelz (3-3) picked up the win, pitching a solid six innings against the Aggies, allowing six hits, but only surrendering one run on four walks and five strikeouts.

For the complete story, visit www.bcuathletics.com or www.ncataggies.com 


Savannah State Pounds Rattlers, 13-1

SAVANNAH, Ga. (April  10)  - Savannah State completed their sweep of the Florida A&M as they pounded the Rattlers 13-1 in seven innings, Sunday afternoon at Tiger Field. 

The Tigers pitching staff held the Rattler offense to two hits, while SSU collected 12.

Matthew Nowacki led SSU from the plate as she finished with a game high three hits, while both Reginald Grant and Jimmie Terrell finished one hit each for FAMU.

Gazarra Mitchell picked up the win for the Tigers as he gave up two hits and striking out three in five innings of play, while Adrian Talton received the loss for the Rattlers.

SSU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning as Peter Poole scored on an Emory Barkley single to left field,

FAMU tied the game at 1-1 as Grant singled to center field scoring Scott Sheplak in the top of the third inning.

The Tigers regained the lead in the bottom of the third inning  as Dexter Kelley scored on a Joseph McCrary single to centerfield, giving  SSU a  2-1 lead.

SSU would convert six hits and two FAMU errors into eight runs to take a 10- 1 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Tigers would score two more runs in the bottom of the fifth and another in the bottom of the sixth for the 13-1 final invoking the ten-run mercy rule.

For the complete story, visit www.famurattlersports.com or www.ssuathletics.com

Other MEAC Scores:
Delaware State 10, Coppin State 0
Delaware State 6, Coppin State 1