Black Bears Finish off Sweep of NSU, 9-1
NORFOLK, Va. - Troy Black and Tyler Patzalek combined for five hits and six runs batted in to lead Maine to a 9-1 win over Norfolk State on Sunday as the Black Bears completed a four-game weekend sweep at Marty L. Miller Field.
D.J. Voisine (2-0) pitched seven strong innings to get the win for the Black Bears (11-14), allowing four hits and one run.
Junior designated hitter Shane Hoggard had a season-high three hits in four at-bats for the Spartans (9-16), including the team's only run batted in.
Starting pitchers Voisine and Justin Bhatti of NSU both tossed three scoreless innings to start the game before Maine broke on top in the top of the fourth. The Black Bears notched four consecutive one-out singles to take a 2-0 lead. Patzalek, Alex Calbick and Justin Leisenheimer had the first three hits, loading the bases for Black. The Black Bears' second baseman grounded a single through the right side to score Patzalek and Calbick for the game's first runs.
Maine tacked on three more in the fifth thanks to an RBI double from Ian Leisenheimer and a two-run single by Patzalek, giving the Black Bears a 5-0 edge.
Scott Heath's sacrifice fly extended Maine's advantage to 6-0 in the sixth before NSU broke through in the bottom of the seventh. Cameron Day led off with a walk, advanced to second on a groundout and scored on Hoggard's RBI single.
But that was all NSU could muster against Voisine and reliever Luke Morrill. NSU managed just six hits against the two right handers, with Hoggard accounting for half of those. Day, Rafael Colon and Chase Kyriacou had the others, with Day recording his third triple of the year and second in the series in the fourth inning. That was the first hit of the game off Voisine, who retired 11 straight Spartans to start the game.
Morrill allowed two hits in two scoreless innings to finish the game for Maine.
Bhatti (2-3) took the loss for NSU, allowing eight hits and five runs (four earned) in five innings.
Patzalek was 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Black was 2-for-5 with four RBI, while Ian Leisenheimer, Justin Leisenheimer and Michael Fransoso also had two hits each.
For the complete story, visit www.nsuspartans.com
North Carolina Central Sweeps Florida A&M, 9-5
TALLAHASSEE,FL (Apr.1) - The Florida A&M Rattlers (5-26, 3-6 MEAC) fell to the North Carolina Central University Eagles (8-22, 6-6 MEAC), in the third game of the weekend MEAC series, at Moore-Kittles Field. The win was the first sweep of a series since joining the MEAC in 2011.
On a weekend where the flag was raised in centerfield to commemorate the success of National Baseball Hall of Famer Andre Dawson, the Rattlers' play was far from that excellence.
Heath Blackburn pitched a game where he got no help from the Rattler defense. For the second consecutive week, a ball hit to the gap in the outfield, resulted in an in-the-park homerun. Blackburn went four and two-thirds innings allowing 13 hits, seven runs, six earned runs, struck out one and walked two.
A visibly frustrated Willie Brown managed to settle the Rattlers back into the game and make a run at the Eagles. After several defensive changes and a focus on offense, the Rattlers crawled back into the game, before succumbing to the Eagles' potent offense.
The Eagles had hot bats, as they have all weekend, garnering 16 hits on the day and totalling 35 runs scored in the weekend series. Luis Diaz, who hit the inside the park homerun, continued his feasting on Rattler pitching, gathering seven hits for the three-game series.
The Eagles got on the board in the first inning as Diaz scored, after being walked, and came around on a Carter Williamson RBI single. NCCU got another run from Troy Marrow on a Ross Plummer RBI single to end the top of the first with two scores. It was a lead that they would never relinquish.
The Rattlers were led at the plate by Khiry Hernandez, Jarryd Reid and Reginald Grant collected two hits each. Diaz, Marrow and Tyson Simpson all got three hits in the game for NCCU.
Ruben Rios got the win for the Eagles, going six innings, allowing eight hits, four runs and two earned runs. Jacob Russell got the save for NCCU, going three innings, allowing two hits, one run and no walks.
For the complete story, visit www.nccueaglepride.com or www.famuathletics.com