GREENSBORO-The North Carolina A&T baseball team (3-2) posted two runs apiece in four straight middle innings to overcome an early deficit and defeat the Marshall Thundering Herd (1-2) by 10-7 on Thursday afternoon at War Memorial Stadium in the opener of a three-game series-the first series between the two since 2001. Junior Luke Tendler and senior Dairio Little each went 3-for-5 in the game and had multiple RBIs in the contest.
Marshall took advantage of some early struggles from junior starter Josh Ganus, tagging him for three runs on three this and two walks in the first inning.
The Aggies quickly chipped into the deficit. A&T loaded the bases with two out in bottom of the second for second baseman Tendler, who lent some power to the ninth batting spot. Tendler doubled to left field to bring home a pair of runs to make it 3-2.
The bottom half of the Aggie lineup also provided the offensive spark in the fourth inning. Senior right fielder Little led off the fourth inning with a double down the left field line. He stole second, and scored on a double to right-center by catcher Stefan Jordan. Tendler hit a slow-rolling single up the right side, and Jordan scored from second to tie the game at 4-4.
Marshall made it 5-4 as an RBI single to left field by right fielder Eric Escobedo scored catcher Matt Kirkwood in the top of the fifth.
But the Aggies kept on rolling. A&T loaded the bases with one out in the fifth inning. Sanchez called up on left-handed hitter sophomore Brandon Wilkerson to face righty Ryan Hopkins in place of the right-handed Bo McMillan. Wilkerson drove a single through the left field side, bringing home a pair of runs to give the Aggies a 6-5 advantage and the lead for good.
The Aggies scored two on an RBI single to right by Little to take a 8-5 lead in the sixth frame. But the Herd wasn't about to give up.
Marshall brought the tying run to the plate in top of the seventh, with runners on the corners and two out. An RBI single by Escobedo made it an 8-6 contest. Aaron Bossi came up to bat, representing the go-ahead run, but Ganus got him to ground out to short to end the Herd threat.
An RBI single by senior Andre McKoy in the A&T seventh put the Aggies back in front by three runs. Junior Cameron Jergens then walked to load the bases with one out. Senior Kelvin Freeman stepped up to plate, and hit a sac fly to right to make it a 10-6 ballgame.
Junior right-hander Tyler Boone came into relieve Ganus in top of the eighth, and allowed one unearned run in the ninth. Ganus picked up his second win on the year, after finishing the game with four earned runs on eight hits with four strikeouts in 7.0 frames.
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