Chaikowsky, Foreman Lead UMES Over Florida A&M, 10-7
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - Bryan Chaikowsky batted 3-for-4 with triple and three RBI and Jacob Foreman pitched eight strong innings as Maryland Eastern Shore team defeated Florida A&M, 10-7, at Hawks Stadium on Friday.
UMES (6-31, 4-8 MEAC) banged out a game-high 14 hits, scoring six runs in the second inning to take the lead good and handed Florida A&M (14-29, 3-7) its third loss in four games.
Foreman (2-7) allowed eight hits and seven runs (three earned) with eight strikeouts and no walks for the win. He surrendered just one run in his final six frames on a Reginald Grant RBI groundout in the fourth and Karim Gonzalez worked a scoreless ninth inning for his first save of the season.
Chaikowsky collected his MEAC-leading eighth triple of the season, scoring two runs in the Hawks' six- run sixth inning. He also scored three runs, stole a base and walked.
Luis Mena also finished with three hits and an RBI as five UMES players recorded multiple-hit outings.
Grant paced the FAMU offense, going 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored and three driven in.
Cory Franklin put the Rattlers on the scoreboard in the first with a sacrifice fly with in the opening inning that plated Toby Adeyemi after he doubled. The Rattlers made it 2-0 when Jimmie Terrell singled to shortstop and Grant, who reached on a fielder's choice and stole second, scored on the first of seven UMES errors.
The game featured 14 errors, seven per side.
UMES took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the first. Tre-von Johnson reached on a throwing error by Grant at shortstop and James Newsome followed with a single and stole second. With runners on second and third, Chaikowsky reached on the second of four Rattler errors in the frame.
He then stole second, advanced to third when the throw went into center field and scored on another overthrow by the Adam Decker for a 3-2 lead.
Florida A&M came back with four runs in the top of the second, Adeyemi singled up the middle to tie the game with one out, scoring Justin Abney from third and Grant followed a with a two run-double down the right-field line to make it 5-3. Franklin struck out but with two gone, Jarryd Reid singled to score Grant for a three run lead,
The fireworks continued in the bottom of the second. UMES pushed six runs across on six hits and three errors to earned a 9-6 advantage.
Stephen Bull singled through the left side and advanced to second on Adeyemi's throwing error in left to lead off the inning. After Johns walked, Newsome singled to right and advanced on a throwing error by Reid in right field to score Bull.
Chaikowsky, who came into the week tied for second in the NCAA in triples, then shot one down the left-field line to tie the game at 6-all.Mena and Bull added run-scoring hits and Byron Campbell scored on an error later in the inning for a three-run lead.
Foreman settled down from there, holding the Rattlers to the fourth inning run.
Heath Blackburn (1-7) pitched 5.2 innings, allowing 11 hits and nine runs (six earned) for the loss. He walked three and struck out five.
For the complete story, visit www.umeshawks.com or www.famuathletics.com
Taylor, Griffin Help Spartans Rally for 6-5 Win over Delaware State
NORFOLK, Va. - TiQuan Griffin hit a game-tying RBI triple in the bottom of the eighth inning and James Taylor followed with the eventual game-winning RBI single as Norfolk State rallied for a 6-5 victory over Delaware State on Friday evening at Marty L. Miller Field.
The Hornets (18-19, 6-3 MEAC) took a 5-4 lead in the top of the eighth, their first lead of the game, only to see NSU (15-21, 7-5) rally in the bottom of the inning. NSU scored all six of its runs Friday with two outs, including the winning rally in the eighth. Chris Warren hit a one-out double off DSU reliever Derek Marshallsea and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Sammy Serafine. Griffin followed with a sinking liner to right field, which Hornet right fielder Tony Gatto dove for and missed. The ball bounced past Gatto, allowing Griffin to leg out a triple as Warren scored easily from third to tie things at 5-all.
Taylor then followed with a line drive into center field to score Griffin and give the Spartans the lead.
Richie Salter (2-1), who allowed the Hornets' two runs in the eighth, came back strong with a scoreless ninth inning to earn the win.
NSU started fast with three runs of DSU starter Jordan Elliott in the bottom of the first. Ryan Montgomery laced a two-out, two-run triple to left-center field to get the Spartans on the board, and Blaze Zeilman followed with a run-scoring single that plated Montgomery.
The Hornets got two runs back in the second off NSU starter Ryan Shook. Shook walked three batters in the inning, and DSU got an RBI groundout from D.J. Miller and an RBI bunt single by Keith Hernandez to get within 3-2.
NSU made it 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth. Griffin singled with two outs, stole second and scored on Taylor's first RBI single of the day.
DSU got within 4-3 in the seventh on Cameron Cecil's sacrifice fly, then took the lead in the eighth. Salter walked Troy Drummond, hit Hernandez with a pitch and gave up an infield hit to Davis. Ryan Haas followed with a two-run single to put the Hornets ahead 5-4.
But the Spartans answered off Marshallsea (1-4), who entered in the eighth and allowed three hits and a pair of runs to take the loss.
Salter earned the win with two innings of worked. He allowed two hits and two runs, walked one and struck out two.
Griffin was 3-for-3 with a single, double, triple and two runs scored to lead the Spartans. Taylor was 2-for-4 with two RBI and Montgomery also had two RBI.
Davis and Haas each had three hits for the Hornets.
For the complete story, visit www.nsuspartans.com or www.dsuhornets.com
Savannah State Powers To Doubleheader Sweep Over NCCU
SAVANNAH, GA. (NCCUEaglePride.com) - Tied at six in the bottom of the eighth inning of game one, the North Carolina Central allowed Savannah State to score ten runs in that frame which propelled the host Tigers to not only the game one win, but the twinbill sweep winning 16-6, 11-0 on Friday afternoon at Tiger Field in Savannah, Ga.
North Carolina Cental bolted out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning after four consecutive hits including sophomore Nate Smith's double to right field that cleared the bases and drove in three runs capping off the frame.
Savannah State's bats answered in the home-half of the first inning thanks to a three-run dinger by Joseph McCrary followed by two consecutive walks that were driven in by a sacrifice fly and three Tiger batters being hit by a pitch. SSU took a 5-4 on the heels of just one hit in the bottom of the first.
NCCU tied the game at five when an error by SSU's hurler Kevin Herilhy allowed senior Edward Pegues to advance to third base. Pegues plated the tying run of the bat of Smith's fourth RBI of the first game as he recorded a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Diamond Eagles took their second lead of the day when freshman Dylan Drayton doubled to lead off the frame and late scored as Smith's fifth RBI of the day came on an RBI ground out giving NCCU the 6-5 heading into the bottom of the fifth.
SSU tied it at six in the bottom of the seventh and exploded in the bottom of the eighth to break open a tie game scoring 10 runs on just six hits which ended the game because of the 10-run rule giving the host Tigers the 16-6 win in game one.
The second game of the day was slated for seven innings and the Eagles trailed just 2-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth when disaster struck for NCCU, that got rolling when SSU's Dexter Kelley hit a single that drove in two runs putting the Tigers up 4-0. Later in the frame, Matt Nowacki singled scoring two more runs. With the score at 6-0, SSU added five more finishing the frame with nine runs on seven hits with one Eagle error to pull away for the 11-0 win.
Smith highlighted the entire day for NCCU going 2-for-3 in game one with a double, five RBIs and one run scored in the loss.
For the complete story, visit www.nccueaglepride.com or www.ssuathletics.com
Wildcats Overpower Coppin State on ESPNU, 16-6, on Late-Game Hitting Spree
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Celebrating breast cancer awareness in pink-tinged uniforms, the Wildcats overpowered the Coppin State Eagles late in the game before a national audience on ESPNU. Building off a season-high 21 hits, the Wildcats came back from a first inning deficit to bat in a combined ten runs in the final two innings and earn their 38th straight win over a conference opponent.
The Eagles showed that they too came to play for the TV game, picking their shots early, putting hits down each foul line and dead up the middle, setting up an early lead of 4-0 over the Wildcats.
But the Cats were poised to fire back, positioning base runners to get started with the first run on a Ryan Durrence strike up the middle, batting in Paul Biocic. The Wildcats picked up another as Alejandro Sanchez took advantage of a run-down play between first and second, easily scoring from third to make it 4-2 after one frame.
The Cats tightened up their defense in the second, retiring nine straight CSU batters over the next three innings, and giving B-CU's offense a chance to get rolling.
B-CU's offense held steady, as DJ Leonard put a solo shot out, just over the left field wall to bring the deficit to one in the second. The Wildcats got right back to it in the third, overtaking the initial runs, with Ryan Durrence firing a speeder straight down the left field line to the corner, sending Emmanuel Castro home to tie it up. Peter O'Brien followed with the same shot down the right field line to send Durrence home, followed by Nick Johnson with an RBI single to wrap up at 6-4.
The Eagles got on the board again with an unearned run in the fifth and slipped a run through in the seventh, but the Wildcats' late-game hitting put it away in B-CU's favor.
After two innings with no runs, the Wildcats got back on the board in the sixth, starting with a Sanchez RBI double to left, and followed by another RBI single for Durrence. Nick Johnson's shot up the middle garnered two RBI as it sped out into center field, putting B-CU up 10-5.
The Wildcats came out in the seventh looking to put the game out of reach. Biocic got the ball rolling with an RBI on a fielders choice. After a CSU pitching change, Castro singled up the middle, hitting the third base umpire, but earning another RBI. O'Brien followed with a sacrifice fly to make it three runs on the inning, before N. Johnson cleared the bases in front of him with a two-RBI double. Matt Wright's double up the middle sealed it for B-CU, as Johnson was sent home to make it six in the inning and a ten-run lead.
As the Wildcats moved on top 16-6, the run rule went into effect, finalizing the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, with the Wildcats putting up a season-best 21 hits to tie the season high for runs.
Gabriel Hernandez (4-0) had a rough start against the fired up Eagles, but stayed cool, hurling a complete game with the win for the Wildcats, posting seven strikeouts and just one walk.
Leading the charge at the plate for B-CU, Nick Johnson went 4-5 with five RBI on the day, making it nine RBI for him in the last four games. Not far behind, Ryan Durrence finished at 3-5 with three RBI and three runs scored. B-CU scored in all but two innings and every Wildcat in the lineup picked up at least one hit, with three notching three apiece, as B-CU hit .553 as a team against CSU in game one.
Wearing the pink jerseys with matching laces on shoes and gloves, the Wildcats celebrated breast cancer awareness, also raising money for the cause with a 50/50 raffle at the game.
Bethune-Cookman (23-19, 10-0 MEAC) maintained their 38-game win streak over conference opponents with the win, and resume the series on Saturday morning with an 11:00 a.m. start time to the double-header with Coppin State (4-30, 1-8 MEAC).
For the complete story, visit www.bcuathletics.com or www.coppinstatesports.com