Wildcats Dominate Coppin State, Outscore Eagles 24-1 to Complete Series Sweep
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Wildcats wrapped up the series on Saturday with the double-header versus Coppin State, with an 11-run eruption in the third inning to dominate with a 15-1 win over the Eagles. In the second half of the double-header, the Wildcats controlled the pace throughout, putting up steady hitting and holding onto a no-hitter into the final frame.
GAME TWO
In the first game of the day, the Eagles challenged the Wildcats early, but B-CU got moving quickly on offense and dominated the day from that point forward.
The first run for the Wildcats came in the first as CSU pitcher Ricky Ferri threw around the zone against Peter O'Brien, walking the Wildcats' catcher with bases loaded, bringing in Alejandro Sanchez.
In the bottom of the third, Ryan Durrence fired a zinger up the middle, which caught Ferri right below the knee, but he remained in the game and on the mound.
In that same inning, Emmanuel Castro crossed the plate as Ferri hit B-CU's Nick Johnson with bases loaded. With bases loaded and no outs, left fielder DJ Leonard capitalized on the situation and got the Wildcat offensive assault going, hitting a two-RBI single right up the middle. Brashad Johnson followed up with a single through the left side for an RBI. Matt Wright grabbed two more for the Wildcats with a two-RBI double down the right field line. Sanchez hit an RBI single to shallow left field and then Matt Wright scored on a wild pitch to add to an already notable lead for the 'Cats.
Still in the third, following a Coppin State pitching change, Durrence got a three-run hit to left center on the first pitch, wrapping up a six-hit, 11-run inning for the Wildcats, which made it 12-0 in B-CU's favor.
With a comfortable lead and another game still on the slate, Coach Melendez made some adjustments to the lineup starting in the fourth. Stepping in as a pinch hitter in the fourth, Cesar Rivera hit an RBI single to shallow left field.
The Eagles put up their lone run of the game in the sixth, scoring on a single through the left side.
With the Wildcats continuing to switch up lineups, Josh Johnson picked up an RBI double to right field in the sixth, and then was batted in by Cesar Rivera's single to right, extending the B-CU lead to 15-1, where the cats would finalize it after shutting CSU down in the seventh.
Scott Garner (5-2) earned the win on the mound with no runs on two hits, with two strikeouts in four innings. In Garners innings, the Wildcats recorded seven groundouts, including two he fielded.
Leading the charge offensively, Ryan Durrence hit 2-3 with three RBI, while scoring twice himself. Coming in late in the game, Cesar Rivera hit 2-2 with two RBI. Alejandro Sanchez was also steady at the plate, with 2-4 hitting and an RBI, while crossing the plate twice. In all, eight different Wildcats picked up hits.
GAME THREE
The Wildcats got back to work quickly in the second game of the day, proving tough on defense and putting up early runs to distance themselves from the Eagles.
Nick Johnson batted in the first run of the second game, in the second inning, as his RBI double to left sent Emmanuel Castro home. On the very next pitch, Matt Wright hit a high ball along the left field line, picking up a triple for an RBI. A CSU error on a failed pickoff of DJ Leonard allowed Wright to score, but another error on the same play gave Leonard his own opportunity to cross the plate, wrapping up the inning with B-CU leading 4-0.
In the third, the Cats came back for more, starting with Emmanuel Castro on an RBI single through the left side. Wright fired a double right up the middle to Ryan Durrence home for the six-run lead.
Wright added another for the 'Cats on a sac fly in the fifth.
Peter O'Brien put out his shot for the weekend, with a two run homer to left center, making it a 9-0 lead in the sixth.
B-CU's Patrick Goelz (5-3) picked up the win and hung on to a no-hitter until the top of the seventh, when the Eagles made a couple of tough plays for hits. Pitching the complete game, Goelz tallied up eight strikeouts with two walks and maintained the shutout.
Demonstrating the multi-headed threat that is B-CU, Matt Wright took charge in the second game of the day, going 2-3 with three RBI. Nick Johnson also batted well, going 3-4 with an RBI, while Emmanuel Castro hit 2-2 with an RBI.
With the two wins on Saturday, the Wildcats (25-19) completed the sweep of Coppin State, 3-0, and move to 12-0 in 2011 MEAC play. The wins also extend the winning streak against conference schools to 39 games.
Across the weekend series, B-CU outscored Coppin State 40-7, and the Wildcats have outscored MEAC opponents 135-50 in 2011.
For the complete story, visit www.bcuathletics.com or www.coppinstatesports.com
McClain, Gardner Toss Shutouts as DSU Sweeps Two from Spartans
NORFOLK, Va. - Matt McClain tossed a three-hit shutout in Delaware State's 1-0 win in game 1, then teammate Elliot Gardner threw a four-hit shutout in a 5-0 Hornets' win in game 2 as DSU swept a MEAC baseball doubleheader from Norfolk State on Saturday at Marty L. Miller Field.
The second-place Hornets improve to 20-19 on the year, 8-3 in MEAC play. NSU fell to 15-23, 7-7.
McClain went all nine innings for his fourth complete game of the year in Saturday's opener. He didn't allow a hit until a one-out John Lynch single in the sixth. He allowed just two more hits and walked three while fanning four.
The Hornets got the only run they needed in the top of the third. Brandon Crist was hit by a Ryan VanAssche pitch to start the inning. Troy Drummond sacrificed Crist to second, then Keith Hernandez bounced a single up the middle, scoring Crist from second for a 1-0 lead.
The run would hold up. NSU's best chance to score came in the sixth as James Taylor walked with one out, and Lynch followed with the first hit off McClain to put two runners on base. Brandon Hairston followed with a groundout that moved Taylor to third and Lynch to second. But McClain got NSU's leading hitter, John Rasberry, to ground out to end the threat.
NSU tried to mount a rally in the ninth as Hairston singled, moved up to second on a sacrifice, and advanced to third on a groundout. But McClain got Chris Joyce to ground out for the final out.
Ryan VanAssche was the hard-luck loser for the Spartans. The freshman lefty, making his first start since March 12, allowed just five hits and the one run over seven innings. He struck out six and walked just one.
Scott Davis and Cameron Cecil had two hits each for the Hornets in game one. Ryan Montgomery also had one hit for the Spartans.
DSU started fast in game two, scoring a run without a hit in the top of the first. Hernandez walked and Davis was hit by a Justin Bhatti pitch to start the game. Both runners moved up a base, and Hernandez scored on a two-out wild pitch for the game's first run.
The Hornets tacked on three more in the fourth. Joey Babuca and D.J. Miller hit RBI singles and Cecil scored on a Spartan error. Cecil extended the lead to 5-0 in the fifth with an RBI double.
Gardner (3-5) did the rest. He allowed just four hits, two to Montgomery, and did not walk a batter. He struck out three. Bhatti (1-6) took the loss, facing just six batters and pitching one complete inning. He walked two batters and hit one.
Cecil and Ryan Haas had two hits each for DSU in game two. Cecil was 4-for-8 in the doubleheader.
Montgomery was 3-for-7 in the two games for NSU. Lynch had one hit in each game.
For the complete story, visit www.dsuhornets.com or www.nsuspartans.com
Witte Brothers Pace UMES To Sweep Of Florida A&M
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - Tyler and Matt Witte each through seven innings to buoy Maryland Eastern Shore to a doubleheader sweep of Florida A&M, 10-5and 9-2, at Hawks Stadium Saturday.
Tyler Witte (1-6) earned his first collegiate win, scattering four hits, five walks and two earned runs while striking out seven and Matt Witte (3-5) followed allowing eight hits and one earned run with one walk and seven strikeouts as UMES (8-31, 7-8 MEAC) swept the series from the Rattlers.
FAMU falls to 14-31 and 3-9 in the conference as the Hawks vault to fourth in the conference standings over North Carolina A&T which did not play a conference series this weekend.
Bryan Chaikowsky hit 4-for-7 in the doubleheader with his sixth home run and league-leading ninth triple. He drove in seven runs and scored two. Tre-von Johnson also turned in a 4-for-7 performance with five runs scored, three RBI, two walks and a stolen base.
James Newsome was the only UMES play with five hits on the day. He drove in four and scored five runs with a triple and three steals.
Florida A&M scored one run in the top of the first on both games but UMES quickly responded with two in each of its first at-bats and didn't look back on the way to 19 runs and 22 hits.
After the Rattlers scored an unearned run to open Game 1, UMES used a Luis Mena RBI single and a Nick Wiggins sacrifice fly to take a 2-1 lead after one inning.
FAMU knotted the game in the top of the fourth at 2-all when Oscar Santalo shot a ball through the infield to score Jarryd Reid with no outs. Tyler Witte worked out of the inning, though, stranding runners on second and third with the help two ground outs and a strikeout.
UMES took the lead for good with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Shaquille Bagwell stroked the first of his two doubles on the day with one out in the frame. Stephen Bull then walked. With runners on first and second, Johnson hit a run-scoring single through the left side for a 3-2 lead.
Then, with two outs, Chaikowsky rocketed a two-run triple to the wall in right-center field to plate Johnson and Bull.
FAMU cut the UMES advantage to 5-4 in the fifth on one hit and two errors but UMES scored five runs over the sixth, seventh and eighth frames - including Chaikowsky's sixth homer, a two-run blast in the eighth - to secure the win.
Jose Linton (2-5) started for the Rattlers in the first game and took the loss. He lasted 6.2 innings, giving up nine hits and seven runs. Linton fanned 10 UMES batters.
Two consecutive errors to start the nightcap gave FAMU a 1-0 lead but Johnson walked, Newsome singled and the pair moved up on a balk by David Duncan (2-5) before Chaikowsky tied the game with a RBI groundout. Mena then reached on a fielder's choice as the shortstop slipped while the ball was in his glove. Newsome scored on the play for a 2-1 lead.
The Hawks rallied for three runs on four hits in the second to take a 5-1 lead. Brent Lewis and Bagwell singled to lead off the inning. A Bull fielder's choice pushed Lewis to third and Bull advanced to second on with a wild pitch before a groundout scored Lewis. Newsome followed with a single up the middle to bring in Bull and Chaikowsky singled down the line in right after Newsome stole second for a four-run lead.
In the sixth, Johnson and Chaikowsky collected RBI singles sandwiched by a two-run triple by Newsome to extend the lead to 9-1.
Duncan went the first four innings, surrendering six hits and five earned runs with one walk.
Adeyemi led the Rattlers with three hits, three runs scored and one driven in on the day.
For the complete story, visit www.famuathletics.com or www.umeshawks.com
Savannah State Finishes Off Weekend Sweep Of NCCU
SAVANNAH, GA.- With North Carolina Central trailing by just three runs at 6-3 heading into the bottom of the fifth, Savannah State uncorked 13 runs on seven hits to break open the contest and finish off the weekend sweep with the 19-3 win over the Eagles in seven innings at Tiger Field in Savannah, Ga.
The host Tigers wasted no time to put NCCU away and took a 5-0 lead through two innings by earning just one hit because starter Douglas Dalley walked four and hit two batters in the first two innings. The only hit in the first two was an RBI double by SSU's Joseph McCrary.
With the 5-0 deficit in the top of the third inning, the Diamond Eagles made its only move of the day that began with an Etienne Farquharson single to center field. After sophomore Willie Mills sacrificed Farquharson over to second base, Dalley raked a single to center field to move the NCCU runner over to third, and junior Akeem Hood's infield single drove in the first run of the day for the Eagles trailing now 5-1. Freshman Alex Moore, III recorded a single of his own and advanced to second on an error by the SSU left fielder that brought in Dalley making it 5-2, and freshman Tyson Simpson, Jr. helped plate the final run on the frame with an RBI groundout to drive in Hood and cut the margin to 5-3.
After allowing Savannah State to add another run to the board putting the tally at 6-3, the Eagles tried to continue the rally in the fourth with back-to-back hits from sophomore Derrell Parker and freshman Troy Marrow, but they were left stranded to keep NCCU down by three runs heading into the bottom of the fourth.
It all came unglued for the maroon and gray in the bottom of the fifth when SSU scored 13 runs on seven hits and still left the bases loaded in the frame. All in all, NCCU pitchers handed out eight walks, one wild pitch, and one Tiger batter was hit by a pitch, while of the seven hits in the frame only two were for extra bases. The 13-run frame put SSU up for good at 19-3.
The game was called in the seventh inning due to the 10-run rule which wrapped up the series sweep for SSU over NCCU. Savannah State finished the 2011 season 5-1 over NCCU, making the Eagles a mere 4-20 against SSU all-time.
The lone bright spot for the Eagles was from Marrow who finished 3-for-4 at the plate in the loss, while his teammate Farquharson raked out a 2-for-4 effort with a run scored.
For the complete story, visit www.nccueaglepride.com or www.ssuathletics.com
Other MEAC scores:
Longwood 7, North Carolina A&T 6
North Carolina A&T 2, Longwood 1