Inside The Park Home Run Lift Jackson State Past Rattlers, 4-2

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (March 25)-Kendall Logan hit a two-run inside park home run in the top of the fifth to lift Jackson State past the Florida A&M, 4-2, Sunday afternoon at Moore-Kittles Field.

Both teams finished the contest with seven hits as both Dylan West and Cory Franklin tallied two hits each to lead the Rattlers, while Frank Solis garnered two hits to lead the Tigers.

Quintavious Drains (5-3) picked up the win for JSU as he pitched six and two-third innings of relief, giving up three hits and striking out nine in the 22 batters he faced, while Thomas Barwick (0-5) received the loss for FAMU as he gave up seven hits, four earned runs and striking out three in four and one-third innings on the mound.

FAMU (5-21) grabbed the early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Reginald Grant scored on a Sheplak single.  Then Franklin would single up the middle scoring both West and Daniel Lee.

Gabriel Babineaux would cut the Rattlers lead to 3-2 as he single to center field scoring both Louis Torres and Charles Epperson in the top of the second inning. 

JSU would win the game as Logan hit an inside the park home run to left center scoring him and Solis, who singled in his at-bat giving the Tigers the 4-3 win.

For the complete story, visit www.famuathletics.com

North Carolina A&T Defeats Bethune-Cookman, 5-3

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.- With timely hitting and strong pitching, the North Carolina A&T Aggies took down the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats by a 5-3 final at Jackie Robinson Ballpark on a warm and bright Sunday afternoon, to avoid the series sweep and to snap their seven-game losing streak. 

Junior Brent Moore (2-2) picked up his second win of the season, allowing three runs on nine hits with a strikeout in 7.0 innings. Freshman right-hander Joe Mackey tossed two scoreless innings of relief for the Aggies for his second save on the year. Scott Garner (1-2), the 2011 MEAC Pitcher of the Year, collected the loss for B-CU. 

The Aggies took the lead for good in their half of the seventh sacrifice fly by Michael Radford, which scored Stefan Jordan to make it a 4-3 contest.  A&T got an insurance run in the top of the eighth.  Third baseman Luke Tendler hit a single to right field to score Dairio Little from second base to give the Aggies a two-run lead.  A&T reliever Joe Mackey retired the side to snap their seven-game losing streak. 

The Aggies were the first to plate runs, scoring two in the top of the first.  After issuing a leadoff walk to Radford, B-CU starter Garner gave up a double to left field by junior Andre McKoy, which allowed Radford to score.  Garner retired the next two batters before giving up another RBI double to Little.  Little ended the game with a pair of hits.

B-CU tied it up in the bottom of the second, and then took the lead for the first time in the bottom of the fourth.  Nick Johnson singled up the middle to start things off.  He moved to third on a double to center by Josh Johnson.   Delgado then came up to bat, and laid down a bunt.  A&T's Moore scooped up the ball and threw it to Jordan to try to put out Nick Johnson at home.  The throw was not in time, as Johnson scored to make it 3-2. 

The Aggies answered by scoring in the top of the fifth.  Jordan led off with a single, and advanced to second on a sac bunt by freshman Brandon Wilkerson.  Center fielder Carvell Copeland then singled to center field to put runners on the corners with one out. Copeland tried to steal second and the Wildcats were trying to get him in a rundown.  Jordan made a break for home, and B-CU second baseman Alejandro Sanchez threw the ball toward third to try to get Jordan.  Jordan stole home to tie the game at 3, and Copeland returned back safely at first. 

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


NCCU BASEBALL DROPS DOUBLEHEADER TO SAVANNAH STATE


DURHAM, N.C.- North Carolina Central University entered play on Sunday afternoon with a chance to clinch not only its second series against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foe Savannah State since 2008, but its second of the season with at least one win in the doubleheader but the Eagles blew a 6-5 lead in game one falling 8-7, and was shutout in game two, 3-0, to lose the series and drop to 3-6 in conference play at the Durham Athletic Park.

Game one was a back-and-forth affair that saw the Tigers squeak out an RBI in the second inning to take a 1-0 advantage on a Chris Arnold bloop single to bring in his fifth RBI of the season.

The Eagles answered on behalf of a few SSU mistakes in the bottom of the third to the tune of five runs on two hits aided by three Tiger errors.  With one out in the frame, sophomore Dylan Drayton (Raleigh, N.C.) reached on an error and advanced to second on a seeing-eye single to right field by Nate Smith (Raleigh, N.C.).  Drayton plated the first run for NCCU on the day on a second error by SSU's Todd Hagen putting runners at first and second with one out.  After a Troy Marrow (Lutherville, Md.) walk, sophomore Carter Williamson (Roanoke, Va.) reached base on a second fielder's choice in the inning as Darien Campbell mishandled a throw putting another error on the board and scoring both Smith and Diaz putting NCCU up 3-1.  Senior Ross Plummer (Winston-Salem, N.C.) put the finishing touches on the frame with a double to right centerfield which drove in two runs and put the maroon and gray ahead 5-1 after three complete.

The resilient Tigers answered in the top of the fourth with four runs of their own that included a three-run bomb by Uriah Virgo which tied that game at 5-5 heading into the bottom of the fourth.

With two outs and nobody on base in the bottom-half of the fourth, NCCU's Smith drilled his second home run of the season to put the Eagles in front 6-5 after four innings.

The Eagles seemed to be heading for the win after keeping the Tigers off the board in the fifth and sixth innings as game one starter Glenn Frye and reliever Gavin Guarrera  combined to keep NCCU ahead.

Then it all came apart in the top of the seventh inning.  After Savannah State leadoff batter, Campbell recorded a single, Hagen reached base on a bunt single and moved to second and third base respectively on a Jacob Russell wild pitch putting runners at second and third with no outs.  SSU's Joseph McCrary recorded the first out of the inning with a strikeout but designated hitter Peter Poole helped load the bases with a walk, and Julius Green tied the game when he was plunked by Russell.  With the score 6-6 and one out, first baseman Matthew Oglesby hit a hard grounder to NCCU first baseman Deion Doubledee who's errant throw got away from Williamson allowing two Tiger runs to score putting them up 8-6 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.

NCCU tried to mount a rally in the seventh but managed one run in the frame and fell 8-7 in the first game of the doubleheader.

Game two saw the second pitcher's duel of the weekend as NCCU's Ruben Rios battled SSU's Rex Davis with both teams combining for nine hits in the nine inning contest.

The Eagles bats were shut down to the tune of just two hits in the game two defeat tying a season-low set back on March 2, against Campbell.  NCCU didn't get its first hit until the fifth inning.

Savannah State (10-14, 4-2 MEAC) plated the first run on the day on Peter Poole's solo shot to right field, taking advantage of one of the few mistakes made by Rios.

The Tigers added two insurance runs in the final two innings to clinch the series two games to one.

Davis (3-2) went seven innings allowing only one hit, walking four batters, and striking out six in earning the win, while Rios pitched a complete game allowing just seven hits and three earned runs with four strikeouts in the loss.  McCrary was credited with a save as he pitched in the final inning of play.

NCCU (4-21, 3-6 MEAC) put runners in scoring position only three times in the series finale and left four runners stranded.

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