B-CU and Savannah State Split Key MEAC Doubleheader
SAVANNAH, Ga. - The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (29-21, 16-7 MEAC) and Savannah State Tigers (28-19, 16-6 MEAC) battled to a split doubleheader in Sunday’s crucial Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) series opener at Tiger Baseball Field. The Wildcats took the opener, separating the MEAC’s top pitcher from his perfect record in a 9-2 victory, but one big inning made the difference in a 4-2 loss in the nightcap.
The Wildcats jumped out to a great start in the series, downing the Tigers in starting pitcher Kyle McGowin’s (10-1) first loss of the 2013 campaign, capitalizing on SSU miscues and converting for runs.
Anthony Stokes doubled with two outs into the outer shade of left field. A miscommunication among the Tigers’ outfielders led to a dropped fly ball and SSU’s first error of the day, allowing Stokes to score from second and Matt Noble to make the second bag. Clay Middleton plated Noble for B-CU’s first lead at 2-1 after the top of the second.
The Tigers again struggled with errors in the top of the third, as B-CU converted on three SSU errors and one hit, collecting five runs in the frame. Brandon Turner reached on an error and became the first to score, following consecutive hit batters, as Eric Sams’ backside Texas League single brought in Turner and Lee. Noble reached on a fielder’s choice, but an overthrow on the play allowed him to reach third and two more runs to cross. Noble capped off the five-run inning, coming home as Middleton reached on an error to push B-CU’s lead to 7-1.
The Tigers responded in the bottom half, but barely put a dent in the six-run advantage, as three consecutive batters reached, and one SSU run scored on a double play, narrowing the Wildcats’ lead to 7-2.
B-CU extended its lead late, as Josh Johnson’s eighth-inning two-run double deep down the left field line capped the scoring at 9-2 as the Wildcats’ pitching staff held the margin in place through the final out.
Montana Durapau (8-3) pitched seven complete to earn the win, allowing five hits and no walks, while striking out six.
Johnson led the Wildcats with a 2-for-4, two-double performance, collecting a pair of RBI. Sams also earned two RBI in game one.
The second game of the day unfolded in a completely different direction, as the Wildcats broke up the deadlock of a pitcher’s duel in the fourth, but succumbed to an SSU big-inning rally in the bottom of the fifth, but were unable to bounce back despite threatening in the seventh.
The Wildcats finally broke through in the top of the fourth as Turner jumpstarted the Wildcats by drawing a walk, and Eros Modena followed up with a single to shallow left field. Both worked into scoring position on a double steal and Lee took advantage of the situation with a RBI single to shallow right field, granting the Wildcats a 1-0 advantage.
After throwing four complete innings with just two hits allowed and no runners reaching second, Ali Simpson got into a jam after running into trouble locating his pitches. A pair of walks gave the Tigers an opportunity and they cashed in with a Lee Moore two-run double into the left field corner. Relievers Christopher Waltermire and Jordan Dailey worked to quell the rally, but two more runs crossed on an RBI single and a B-CU error before Dailey closes the door with consecutive groundouts.
The Wildcats threatened in the top of the seventh, opening with three consecutive singles. PJ Biocic battled to a full count RBI walk to draw the lead to two runs. Facing reliever Eric Ricks, Middleton hit a hard line shot to the right, but first baseman Peter Poole made the snag and the force-out for the double play. A first-pitch groundout to first ended the Wildcats’ comeback hopes and split the series with a 4-2 loss.
Simpson (3-7) took the loss after throwing 4 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and walking three, while striking out five.
May (4-3) earned the win with six innings pitched, while Ricks earned his fifth save of the year.
With the split, both teams move to 16 MEAC wins and remain locked in a battle for the Southern divisional title and the number one seed in the upcoming MEAC Baseball Championships in Norfolk, Va.
For the complete story, visit www.bcuathletics.com or www.ssuathletics.com.
Haas Powers Hornets Past UMES For Series Sweep
Dover, Del. - Ryan Haas was 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI to lead Delaware State to an 11-5 win over UMES in the series finale at Soldier Field today.
The two homer game was the first for Haas, the reigning MEAC Player-of-the-Year. It was also the first multi-homer game by a DSU player since Cameron Cecil hit two vs. Hartford on Mar. 9. 2011.
The Hornets swept the series to improve to 32-13 overall. The contest was also the final MEAC regular season game for DSU, the league's North Division champion with a 21-3 mark.
Chris Rivera was 4-for-5 with a RBI in the first start of his career. Cameron Onderko had three hits and a RBI in five at bats.
The score was 5-5 before the Hornets scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Delaware State scored first with a run in the second inning. Aaron Nardone singled to lead off the inning and later scored on Onderko’s two-out single to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead.
DSU opened up a 3-0 lead when Haas hit his first homer of the game, a two-run shot to right center in the third. It was his first homer of the season.
UMES, held without a hit in the first five innings by DSU starter Elliott Gardner, fought back with four unanswered runs to take the lead. The Hawks scored a run without benefit of a hit in the fourth to pull to within 3-1. They added two runs on four hits in the sixth to tie the game; and scored a run in the seventh to open up a 4-3 lead.
Delaware State responded with two in the last of the seventh to regain the lead. J.P. Frey singled with one out and Haas followed with his second homer of the game and season to give the Hornets a 5-4 lead.
UMES answered with a run in the top of the eighth to make it a 5-5 game.
DSU regained the lead for good with six runs on seven hits in the bottom of the eighth. The Hornets were also aided by three UMES errors in the inning. Nick Arrue and Rivera had run-scoring singles in the inning, while Peter Broehl collected a RBI on a bases loaded walk. Delaware State scored two runs on outfield throwing errors and Mike Alexander crossed the plate on a wild throw on an attempted steal.
DSU reliever Derek Marshallsea (3-3) pitched 2/3 of an inning to earn the win. He struck out both batters that he faced.
For the complete story, visit www.dsuhornets.com or www.umeshawks.com.
Jones, Morton Help Spartans Clinch MEAC North No. 2 Seed
BALTIMORE, Md. – Cooper Jones and Raymond Morton combined on a four-hit shutout to lead Norfolk State to a 4-0 win over Coppin State Sunday in the MEAC regular-season finale for both teams at Joe Cannon Stadium.
The win helped the Spartans (17-26, 12-12 MEAC) avoid a weekend sweep at the hands of the Eagles (16-30, 11-13), and more importantly, enabled the Spartans to clinch the MEAC Northern Division’s No. 2 seed in the conference tournament later this month.
Jones (1-4) earned his first win of the season by tossing five-plus shutout innings. He gave up four hits, walked two and struck out three. Morton worked four hitless innings to earn his team-leading fourth save of the year.
The NSU offense, which struggled to get going in Saturday’s doubleheader sweep, managed to push across four runs on Sunday. After four scoreless innings, NSU manufactured a run in the top of the fifth off Eagles’ starter Anderson Burgess (2-4). Andre Moore, Justin Lee and Killian Strenn reached on three straight infield hits to load the bases with one out. Zach Markel then lofted a sacrifice fly ball to score Moore with the games’ first run.
Jones cruised through five innings before running into trouble in the bottom of the sixth. Daniel Hamlett led off with a single, and the next batter, Chris Godfrey, reached when the Spartans mishandled his sacrifice bunt attempt. Jones then walked Jack Kraft to load the bases with none out.
Morton came on in relief and managed to keep CSU off the board. He got Alex Brown and Jay Maletz to ground into fielder’s choice outs where teammates were retired at home. Morton then coaxed Ian Arciaga to fly out for the third out of the inning.
NSU pushed its lead to 2-0 in the eighth when Tyon Ore was hit by a pitch, went to third on Ryan Montgomery’s single and scored on a passed ball. Robert Barefoot, who entered as a defensive replacement, added a two-run single in the top of the ninth to account for the game’s final runs.
Offensively, Moore and Lee both went 2-for-4 for the Spartans, who outhit CSU 11-4.
Burgess took the loss for the Eagles, allowing seven hits and one run in 6.1 innings pitched.
For the complete story, visit www.nsuspartans.com or www.coppinstatesports.com.
North Carolina A&T Defeats FAMU, 9-0
GREENSBORO, N.C. - North Carolina A&T avoided the three-game sweep of the Florida A&M Baseball Team as the Aggies defeated the Rattlers, 9-0 in their final Mid-Eastern Conference game of the season Sunday afternoon at War Memorial Stadium.
FAMU (7-41, 6-18 MEAC) finished the contest with eight hits with Reginald Grant finishing with a team high three hits.
N.C. A&T (15-34, 8-15 MEAC) tallied a game high nine hits as four Aggies finished with two hits each.
Tyler Boone (3-4) got the win for the N.C. A&T as he pitched eight and two-third scoreless innings, allowing eight hits and striking out five in the in the 34 batters he faced, while William Carrasco received the loss for FAMU as he gave up five hits, one earned run and striking out four in seven innings of work.
Kelvin Freeman gave the Aggies a, 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as he scored on a rundown.
N.C. A&T added to their lead in bottom of the fifth inning as Reggie Washington scored on a Brandon Wilkerson single, followed by a pair of FAMU error scoring both Kelvin Freeman and Wilkerson, making the 4-0 in favor of the Aggies.
Luke Tendler would score the Aggies fifth run of the game on a FAMU infielder’s error, giving the Aggies a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning.
A&T plated four more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to increase their lead to 9-0 over FAMU.
For the complete story, visit www.ncataggies.com or www.famuathletics.com.
Series Finale Between NCCU And Gardner-Webb Rained Out
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Inclement weather at John Henry Moss Stadium forced game officials to cancel the series finale between North Carolina Central University and Gardner-Webb in Boiling Springs, N.C. as the contest will not be made up.
NCCU (25-25, 12-12) dropped game one on Saturday, 8-1 and fell in a heartbreaker in 11 innings in the final game of the day 3-2.
For the complete story, visit www.NCCUEaglePride.com.