Coppin State Defeats NC Central 8-5DURHAM, N.C. -- Derek Richards went 2-for-3 with three runs batted in and John Bergwall pitched a complete game leading Coppin State to an 8-5 victory over North Carolina Central on Saturday at Durham Athletic Park.
The victory by the Eagles snapped an eight-game losing streak and raised their record to 4-26 on the season. North Carolina Central dropped to 4-32 overall with the loss.
Richards had a double and two singles and also scored two times to lead the offense in support of Bergwall.
Bergwall picked up his first victory of the season by scattering 11 hits and allowing only three earned runs, while striking out six batters. He also went 2-for-5 at the plate and drove in a run.
Alex Black had two hits and two RBI, while Jesse Savage added two hits for Coppin State. Chris Kashangaki and Jim Vagnier added RBI for the Eagles.
Coppin State scored first in the top of the second inning when Richards led off the frame with a single. He moved to second on a groundout by Kashangaki and scored when Black singled through the right side of the infield.
North Carolina Central tied the game with a run in the bottom of the second inning, but the Eagles took control of the game with a five-run third inning.
Craig Richmond walked with one out and advanced to second on a single by Bergwall. Savage then singled to center field to load the bases with one out.
Richards then cleared the bases with a double down the leftfield line that scored Richmond, Bergwall and Savage and gave the Eagles a 4-1 lead.
Kashangaki reached on an error which allowed Richards to score with the fourth run of the inning.
Kashangaki stole second base and scored when Black delivered a clutch, two-out single to right.
North Carolina Central fought back into the game by scoring three times in the seventh inning to cut the lead to 6-4.
Coppin State answered with a pair of runs in the top of the eighth inning.
Black walked to lead off the inning and scored when Vagnier doubled down the leftfield line increasing the lead to 7-4.
Ricky Ferri walked and Richmond reached on a fielder's choice with Vagnier getting forced out at third base. Ferri and Richmond executed a double steal and Bergwall followed with a single that scored Ferri upping the lead to 8-4.
For the complete story, visit www.nccueaglepride.com or www.coppinstatesports.com
Rattlers Split With DSU Hornets
TALLAHASSEE, FLA (Apr.16) - The FAMU Rattlers engaged in an MEAC battle against the Delaware State University Hornets. The first game of the doubleheader took 11 innings to decide as the Hornets would emerge victorious in a 10-9 decision. The Rattlers would battle back in game two, warding off the Hornets for the 5-4 decision.
Cory Franklin led the Rattlers with two homers in the first game. His blast over the left field wall in the bottom of the ninth extended the game as the Rattlers were down 9-8 going into their final at bat. Franklin ended the game with three hits that drove in four total runs.
Tobi Adeyemi got four hits for the Rattlers, while Jimmie Terrell got three hits. As a team the Rattlers punched out 15 hits for the game.
DSU also got 15 hits. Scott Davis got four hits for the Hornets, while Ryan Haas and Troy Drummond stroked four hits each. Haas also drove in four runs.
Heath Blackburn started the game on the mound for the Rattlers, going six and one third innings. He got no decision as Steven Dollar come in to relieve him. Dollar went four and two thirds innings, earning the loss for the Rattlers.
Jordan Elliott, started the game for the Hornets. By game's end, DSU had used five pitchers in the victory.
The Rattlers would fare better in game two.
Jose Linton got the win for the Rattlers. He went six innings for the Rattlers before being relieved by Cory Franklin. Linton gave up two earned runs, one walk and struck out three. Franklin gave up one hit, one earned run and struck out one.
Jarryd Reid had the hot bat for the Rattlers. He went 3-for-3, driving in three runs, including a towering home run. The Rattlers got seven hits in game two.
Matt McClain took the loss for the Hornets. He pitched five innings, gave up seven hits, five earned runs and struck out two. Zach Adkins came on in relief for the final inning. He had one walk and one strike out.
Scott Davis, Eddie Sorondo and Brandon Crist each tallied two hits. The hornets punched out nine hits.
For the complete story, visit www.famuathletics.com or www.dsuhornets.com
Wildcats Take Two from NSU, 10-7, 12-5
NORFOLK, Va. - Visiting Bethune-Cookman scored nine unanswered runs to rally for a 10-7 win in game one, then jumped out early and cruised to a 12-5 victory in game two to sweep a doubleheader from Norfolk State on Saturday at Marty L. Miller Field.
The Spartans (14-20, 6-4 MEAC) jumped out to a 7-1 lead after five innings of the opener, but couldn't keep the opportunistic Wildcats (21-17, 8-0) at bay.
NSU scored two runs in the first, capitalizing on some wildness and an error by B-CU starting pitcher Gabriel Hernandez. Brandon Hairston had an RBI groundout and John Rasberry an RBI single to give NSU a 2-0 lead. The Spartans scored two more in the third on a run-scoring single by Chris Joyce and a bases-loaded walk from Hernandez to Sammy Serafine that made it 4-0.
B-CU got a wind-aided solo home run off the bat of Emmanuel Castro in the fourth to make it 4-1, but NSU scored three more in the fifth to take a 7-1 lead. Joyce doubled and Ryan Montgomery reached on a fielder's choice to start the inning, and Blaze Zeilman followed with a long two-run double off the right-field wall. Later in the inning, Serafine's RBI single made it 7-1.
NSU starter Ryan Shook, who cruised through five innings, ran into a bit of trouble in the sixth. Alejandro Sanchez singled to start the inning and Shook walked Castro. Shook was then lifted in favor of Ryan VanAssche, and Ryan Durrence greeted the freshman by hitting a high fly ball into the gusty wind conditions for a three-run homer to center, cutting NSU's lead in half. Two batters later, Nick Johnson reached on a bloop double, then scored on an NSU throwing error on the same play to cut NSU's lead to 7-5.
The Wildcats took the lead with a three-run seventh. Castro knocked in a run with an RBI groundout, and D.J. Leonard's two-out, two-run single gave the Wildcats an 8-7 lead.
B-CU added two more in the ninth on a two-run triple by Johnson.
The Spartans outhit B-CU 11-8 for the game, but Wildcat relievers Chris Anselmo and Jordan Dailey kept NSU off the board over the final five innings. Anselmo pitched two scoreless frames for the win, and Dailey pitched three scoreless for the save.
Shook got a no-decision despite matching his career with nine strikeouts in five-plus innings. He allowed just three hits and three runs. Shook, VanAssche and Richie Salter combined to strike out 17 Wildcat hitters, an NSU single-game record.
B-CU rode that momentum and jumped on NSU starter Jordan Egan early in game two, scoring 12 runs in the first four innings. Seven of those runs came in the first inning, capped by a three-run homer by Peter O'Brien and a two-run triple from Leonard. The Wildcats had six hits in the inning, five going for extra bases.
O'Brien and Brashad Johnson had RBI singles in the second, and O'Brien had a two-run single in the third to make it 11-0. Matt Wright's solo homer in the fourth made it 12-0.
The Spartans managed just two hits in the first six innings off B-CU starter Scott Garner (4-2). The Spartans didn't go down without a fight, plating five runs in the bottom of the seventh and final inning. Montgomery, Serafine and Hairston had RBI singles and John Lynch an RBI double.
Garner got out of it without any further damage, and pitched a seven-inning complete game. He allowed eight hits and five runs, one earned, while striking out seven. Egan (1-2) took the loss after allowing 15 hits and 12 runs, nine earned, in four innings.
Rasberry went 5-for-9 on the day, Serafine was 3-for-6 with three RBI, and Hairston went 3-for-7 for a NSU.
O'Brien had five hits on the day and six RBI. Four of his hits and all six RBI came in game two. Leonard knocked in four runs, two in each game.
For the complete story, visit
www.nsuspartans.com or
www.bcuathletics.com Other MEAC ScoresNorth Carolina A&T 9, Maryland Eastern Shore 6
Stetson 5, Savannah State 3