Aggies split doubleheader with Wildcats
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Timothy Ravare hit a walk-off single to right field in the 11th inning to lead the North Carolina A&T baseball team to a 5-4 win over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats 5-4 in the first game of a doubleheader played at War Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
The Aggies lost the second game 3-1. A&T's Game 1 win snapped a six-game losing streak within the conference and improved the Aggies 14-24 and 7-10 in the MEAC as they fight for a MEAC tournament berth out of the south. Senior Luke Tendler went 4-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in the first game.
Ravare added two hits. His big hit was in the 11th was set up when the Aggies loaded the bases with no outs. Right-hand reliever Charles Waltermire was then brought in to try to salvage the game for the Wildcats (20-22, 12-8 MEAC). He started by striking out Micah Carmony with breaking ball. Kyle Clary then lined out to shortstop for the second out. But Ravare stepped up to the plate and lined Waltermire's 2-2 fastball into right field for the game winner. His hit capped off a comeback that saw the Aggies rally from a 4-1 deficit that was in place as late as the eighth inning. Carmony homered in the eighth to kick start the rally.
Dylan Hipp (1-0) picked up the win in relief while Michael Austin (0-2) took the loss.
Tendler had two hits for the Aggies in Game 2, but Wildcats ace Montana Durapau was too strong for A&T. He improved to 8-0 by tossing five innings and giving up just one unearned run. Bryant Munoz went 3-for-3 for the Wildcats in Game 2. The two teams will play again Saturday at 1 p.m., at War Memorial.
For complete story, visit www.ncataggies.com or www.bcuathletics.com
Hornets’ bats quieted in doubleheader loss to Hawks
DOVER, Del. --- Delaware State University’s potent offense was silenced by Maryland-Eastern Shore pitching in the Hawks’ doubleheader sweep at Soldier Field today. UMES won the first game 3-2 in 11 innings; and completed the sweep with a 5-1 victory in the seven inning nightcap.
The Hornets were averaging 8.6 runs per game, second among all NCAA Division I teams, entering the doubleheader.
In the opener, UMES scored the go-ahead run on a fielder’s choice groundout in the top of the 11th inning.
The Hornets put a runner on base in the bottom of the 11th, but failed to score.
Delaware State opened the game one scoring on Cameron Cecil’s run scoring double in the bottom of the third inning.
UMES answered with a run in the top of the fourth to tie the game.
The Hornets regained the lead 2-1 when Ron Farley hit his second home run of the season to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Hawks again tied the game in their next at bat. Joshua James doubled to lead off the UMES eighth and later scored the tying run on a one-out single by Stephen Bull, who had three of the Hawks’ 10 hits to extend his hitting streak to 22 games.
Cecil was three-for-five, while Eddie Sorondo and Charles Dailey had two hits each for the Hornets.
The loss overshadowed another solid performance by DSU starter Matt McClain. The senior right hander allowed eight hits and two runs-one earned-while matching his season high with eight strikeouts in nine innings.
McClain lowered his earned run average to 2.07 with the performance. He now has 44 strikeouts and six walks in 68 innings this season.
Bernard Parker threw a scoreless inning of relief to earn the win for UMES. DSU reliever Eric Sharff allowed the 11th inning run to suffer the loss.
In the nightcap, Delaware State again score first with a third inning run. Kwestin Smith singled with one out and later scored on an infield single by Cecil put the Hornets out front.
UMES took the lead with two runs in the top of the fifth. Bull singled in the tying run and Byron Campbell singled in the go-ahead run to give the Hawks a 2-1 lead.
The Hawks scored three insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning to seal the win.
Campbell had three hits, while Bull and Skylar Murray had two each for UMES in game two.
Alexander led the Hornets with two hits.
Starter Harry Thomas (2-2) allowed five hits and two runs in five innings to take the loss for DSU.
The Hornets and Hawks will wrap up the series with a doubleheader on Saturday. Game one gets underway at 1 p.m. at Soldier Field.
For complete story, visit www.dsuhornets.com or www.umeshawks.com
Butt, Outman Pitch NSU to DH Sweep of CSU
ANNE ARUNDEL, Md. – Stephen Butt fanned a season-high 10 hitters in game one and Matt Outman tossed his second straight complete game in the nightcap to lead Norfolk State to a 10-3, 7-2 sweep of Friday’s MEAC baseball doubleheader at Coppin State.
Butt (2-2) allowed just five hits and three runs over seven innings while registering the most strikeouts by a Spartan pitcher since teammate Justin Bhatti notched 12, also against Coppin State, on April 20, 2012. Outman (5-1) won his team-leading fifth game of the year, going all seven innings in game two while striking out a career-high eight.
Butt got plenty of support from his offense, which tallied five doubles and 14 total hits in the opener. Justin Lee doubled and scored on a Cameron Day sacrifice fly to give the Spartans a 1-0 in the third. NSU then broke the game open with a seven-run fifth, with all of the runs scoring with two outs. Chase Kyriacou hit a two-run single and Robert Reaume a three-run double to make it 6-0. Lee tacked on another RBI double and scored on a two-out Eagles error to stretch the lead to 8-0.
Killian Strenn added a two-run double in the sixth to complete the scoring for NSU.
Day and Andre’ Moore had three hits each in the opener, while Lee was 2-for-6. Moore also swiped two bases.
Matthew Boone pitched the final two innings for NSU without giving up a hit or run. He struck out three batters.
For Coppin State, Miranda Bryant was 2-for-5 with a run-scoring double and an RBI triple. Anderson Burgess (1-4) allowed nine hits and seven runs in 4.2 innings pitched to take the loss for CSU.
In the nightcap, Outman scattered eight hits, all singles and three of which didn’t leave the infield. He walked just one and has now given up two earned runs or fewer in eight of his 10 starts this year.
Day gave NSU a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the first, but CSU answered with two runs on four hits in the top of the second. William Brown and Jeffrey Fitch (3-for-3) both hit RBI singles in the frame.
But the lead was short-lived, as NSU plated five runs in the bottom of the second. The Spartans – who were the home team on the scoreboard in game two as the teams made up a game previously scheduled for Norfolk – managed just two hits in the inning, but took advantage of three walks, two hit batters and a CSU error. Justin Burrell and Moore had run-scoring singles in the inning. Omar Hotusing had a sacrifice fly, while Ross Cardwell (bases-loaded walk) and Zach Markel (bases-loaded hit-by-pitch) also had RBI in the inning.
Burrell’s sacrifice fly in the fifth accounted for the game’s final run.
That was more than enough for Outman, who allowed only one runner to reach as far as second base after the second inning.
Moore was 2-for-3 in the nightcap with a run and an RBI. He was 5-for-7 on the day to lift his average to .306 on the year. Day went 1-for-2 in game two and was 4-for-6 in the doubleheader.
The teams play another doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon.
For complete story, visit www.nsuspartans.com or www.coppinstatesports.com
NCCU and Savannah State suspended due to rain after first inning
SAVANNAH, Ga. – A torrential downpour in the Savannah area forced game officials to suspend the first game of the series between North Carolina Central University and Savannah State as the contest will be resumed at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 19 at 1:00 p.m. followed up by a seven-inning contest to complete the weekend at Tiger Baseball Field in Savannah, Ga.
When the contest does pick back up, it will be the top of the second inning with the Eagles trailing 5-1. After the maroon and gray scored a run in the top of the first, SSU plated five runs on two critical Eagle errors in the bottom-half of the frame.
The rain got worse which forced officials to call the game. The third and final game of the series will not be played unless conference standings are on the line.
For complete story, visit www.nccueaglepride.com or www.ssuathletics.com