NCCU Swept In Crucial Twinbill Against Savannah State
SAVANNAH, GA. (www.NCCUEaglePride.com) -North Carolina Central dropped both games in a MEAC doubleheader against Savannah State, 10-0 in game one and 13-11 in the second contest, to fall into third place in the Southern Division of the league on Saturday afternoon at Tiger Field in Savannah, Ga.
NCCU managed just seven hits and allowed SSU to turn three double plays in the day's first contest as Savannah State took a 3-0 lead in the bottom on the first while only recording one hit. Junior Michael Romano walked one batter, plunked two others, and committed an error on an errant tag in the first frame to put the Eagles behind.
Following the rough start, Romano settled in retiring six of the next seven batters including four strikeouts in-a-row to keep the score at 3-0 until the bottom of the fourth inning.
SSU scored five runs on seven hits that included two doubles by the host Tigers who stretched the margin to 8-0 after four complete innings.
The Tigers went on to win the game 10-0 as it was called in the bottom of the eighth inning due to the MEAC's 10-run rule with two runners left of base.
The second contest of the day was a shootout between these two teams as the maroon and gray stormed out in front with a five-run second inning.
Senior Ross Plummer began the frame off with a one out single which gave him 97 career hits. Freshman Tyler Murphy singled while fellow freshman Deion Doubledee drove in Plummer on a bunt single to put the Eagles up 1-0. After Anthony Wilson was hit-by-a-pitch sophomore Dylan Drayton drilled his second triple of the year and cleared the bases and gave NCCU the 4-0 lead. Sophomore Tyson Simpson recorded RBI No. 24 on the year on a sacrifice fly to give the Eagles a 5-0 lead.
Savannah State was ready for the challenge scoring five runs over the next two innings to tie the game back up a 5 apiece.
The maroon and gray offense stayed red hit in the top of the fourth inning adding five more runs on the board as it all began with a Wilson single. After a Drayton sacrifice bunt, Simpson ripped a single to right field and advanced Wilson to third on a passed ball. With runners at second and third, the Tigers chose to intentionally walk Luis Diaz to load the bases and sophomore Troy Marrow made SSU pay with a three run double that put the Eagles up 8-5. Doubledee helped plate the final two runs on the frame with a single and the maroon and gray seemingly had the momentum on their side leading 10-5 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
SSU would not be denied in the next frame tying the game up at 10 with five runs on four hits that included a clutch two RBI double by designated hitter Peter Poole.
With the contest knotted up at 10 in the bottom of the sixth inning, pinch hitter Dychal Bowles put the dagger in the Eagles with a three run double to left field to put the Tigers up 13-10.
NCCU plated a run in the top of the seven and had runners at second and third base but fell short dropping the final game of the day 13-11.
For the complete story, visit www.nccueaglepride.com or www.ssuatheltics.com
Bethune-Cookman Completes Sweep of North Carolina A&T
GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Wildcats completed the sweep of the North Carolina A&T Aggies with two very close finishes in Saturday's doubleheader at World War II Memorial Stadium. Each outing played through as a completely different type of game, but at 15-13 and 3-1, both garnered the same end result and another series sweep for B-CU.
Brashad Johnson set off the scoring in the opening frame with a curving capped RBI single into shallow right field, setting off a six-run scoring inning. Jairo Acevedo, Juan Pizarro, and Jake Welch each collected RBI to help B-CU open up the early lead.
The fifth inning through eighth, B-CU racked up eight runs on the four-inning offensive explosion, converting 13 hits and four A&T errors into 15 total runs.
B-CU ran the show offensively in the first half of the game, as starter Gabriel Hernandez (win, 5-1) held the game in shutout into the sixth, when Aggies third baseman Luke Tendler disrupted all that, hitting a two-run homer to right field; only Hernandez' second allowed on the year.
Across the next two innings, the Aggies tore successfully into the Wildcats' bullpen, scoring in innings of six and then five in the seventh and eighth frames, knocking the B-CU advantage down to just two runs.
Contributing to the shift, B-CU logged four errors and seven walks in the first game.
The Wildcats went to closer Jordan Dailey to shut the door in the eighth, putting an end to the wild momentum shift. Dailey collected his ninth save of the year, allowing no hits, with no walks, and one strikeout to lock in the 15-13 Wildcat win. In the final inning, Dailey retired three Aggies in order on 11 pitches, just two of which were balls.
Hernandez threw six innings for the win, collecting a strikeout and only walking one in a four-hitter.
Five Wildcats collected RBI in the 13-hit performance, adding runs for Nick and Brashad Johnson, and Brandon Turner, in addition to Welch, Pizarro, and Acevedo.
Game two of the doubleheader played out as a pitcher's duel in the low-scoring affair. The Wildcats again scored immediate runs, initiated by Turner's focused base running during an NCAT overthrow error from center. B. Johnson made it a pair with a perfectly placed single just inside third to bring David Lee in from second and go up 2-0 in the first inning.
Starter Ali Simpson (win, 2-1) made the most of his post-rehab pitch count, stretching his longest outing of the year into the fifth inning, allowing no runs on just four hits and striking out four Aggies.
Three straight Wildcat singles in the sixth extended the lead on B. Johnson's RBI single up the middle.
The Aggies broke the shutout in the bottom of the sixth, using a double-error play to place a runner in scoring position for Kelvin Freeman to bat in the lone NCAT run. Scott Garner collected his first save of the season, throwing two innings with no earned runs or hits allowed to wrap up the series, retiring three straight Aggies in command of the final inning for the 3-1 win.
A&T's Tendler was a driving force for the Aggies' offense, hitting 5-7 with four runs scored and three RBI in Saturday's game, adding to his 2-4 on Friday, and extending his hit streak to 16 games.
Pizarro and Lee each batted 3-6 in the doubleheader, with Pizarro adding four RBI.
For the complete story, visit www.ncatggies.com or www.bcuathletics.com
Tribe Takes Two from Spartans, 4-0, 8-2
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - Host William & Mary got strong starts from Brett Koehler and Matt Davenport and parlayed quick starts in both games into a doubleheader sweep of Norfolk State, 4-0 and 8-2 on Saturday afternoon at Marty L. Miller Field.
Koehler pitched 4.1 scoreless innings in game 1 while Davenport pitched five solid frames in game 2 for the Tribe (27-18), who avenged an earlier-season loss to NSU (15-23).
In the opener, W&M scored three times in the first two innings off Spartan starter Justin Bhatti. Tadd Bower and Ryan Lindemuth hit run-scoring doubles in the first, and Stephen Arcure reached on an NSU error and scored on a passed ball to give the Tribe a 3-0 lead after two innings.
Bhatti (3-5) settled down and tossed his second straight impressive start. Bhatti even worked through a rain delay and allowed just three hits and the three runs (one earned) in six innings. He walked two and struck out four.
But Koehler and two Tribe relievers, Cole Shain and John Farrell, were just a little better. Koehler allowed just two hits and struck out five in 4.1 innings. Shain pitched 2.2 innings and allowed just one hit in relief of Koehler, while Farrell finished off the shutout with two scoreless innings.
Both teams had five hits in the opener. Tribe catcher Sean Aiken (2-for-3) was the only player for either team with two hits.
In the seven-inning game 2, W&M scored twice in the first and twice more in the second off NSU starter Ryan VanAssche. Lindemuth hit a sacrifice fly and Bower scored on a wild pitch in the first. Then in the second, Josh Smith hit an RBI double and later scored on a Spartan miscue to make it 4-0.
NSU picked up its first run of the game and the doubleheader in the top of the third. Chris Warren singled off Davenport to lead off the inning and scored on a double play.
But that was all NSU could muster against Davenport, who improved to 6-3. He struck out six in five innings. The Tribe, meanwhile, tacked on one run in the fourth and three in the fifth to increase its lead to 8-1.
The Spartans' only other run came in the top of the seventh. Warren led off with a double and scored on a Chase Kyriacou single.
VanAssche (3-5) was saddled with the loss after allowing eight runs (seven earned) in five innings.
Warren led NSU with a 3-for-3 effort in game 2. He also scored both Spartan runs. Warren was a combined 4-for-6 in the doubleheader, while freshman outfielder Mikey Bruno was 3-for-8.
Aiken went 4-for-7 and Bower had three hits on the day for W&M.
For the complete story, visit www.nsuspartans.com