Hornets wrap up MEAC Play With Sweep of Hawks
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. --- Delaware State closed out its 2014 MEAC North schedule with a doubleheader sweep of Maryland-Eastern Shore at Hawk Field today. The Hornets won the first game 8-3 and completed the sweep with a 5-3 victory in the seven inning nightcap.
DSU, which wrapped up its third straight MEAC North title last week, closed out its conference season with a 17-7 mark. The Hornets have won 10 of their last 12 games to improve to 28-15 overall.
In the opener, starter Matt McClain threw five shutout innings while Hassan Evans and DJ Miller drove in two runs each. McClain allowed two hits and struck out two without allowing a walk to improve to 7-0 this season.
The Hornets opened the scoring with a first inning run. Cameron Cecil was hit by a pitch with one out and later scored on a two-out single by Eddie Sorondo.
DSU added a run in the fourth to open up a 2-0 lead. Sorondo led off the inning with a double. He moved to third on a UMES error and crossed the plate on another miscue by the Hawks.
The Hornets took advantage of wildness by UMES pitchers to score five runs in the fifth. Aaron Nardone was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, while Mike Alexander and Sorondo followed with walks to load the bases. Two batters later, Miller singled to left field, scoring Nardone and Alexander to give DSU a 4-0 lead. After Evans was hit by a pitch to again load the bases, Charles Dailey drew a walk to score Sorondo and give the Hornets a five-run lead. Cameron Onderko also walked with the bases loaded and Cecil drove in a run on a sacrifice fly to round out the Hornets’ scoring in the fifth. DSU had just one hit, while UMES pitchers walked four batters and hit two in the inning.
The Hawks scored three runs in the sixth to cut the Hornets’ lead to 7-3.
Delaware State closed out the game one scoring when Evans hit his second homer of the season, a solo shot to left, in the top of the ninth inning.
Byron Campbell was two-for-four with a run batted in, while Mike Escanilla had two hits in five at bats for UMES.
In the nightcap, Nardone drove in three runs and closer Eric Sharff struck out four batters in two scoreless innings to earn his fourth save of the season.
The Hornets jumped out in front with a first inning run. Cecil doubled with one out, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Nardone.
After UMES scored a run in the bottom of the first inning to tie the game, Delaware State regained the lead with four runs in the fourth.
Nardone doubled in two runs and Justin Allen had a run-scoring single in the inning. The Hornets also scored a fourth inning run on a sacrifice bunt by Dailey.
The Hawks responded with two runs off DSU starter Harry Thomas in the bottom of the fourth to pull to within 5-3.
Dan Galati pitched a scoreless fifth inning for the Hornets.
Sharff struck out two batters in the sixth and seventh innings to record the save.
Thomas allowed six hits and three runs (two earned), while striking out four in four innings to earn the win. He has won his last three decisions to improve to 5-2 this season.
Delaware State will wrap up the 2014 regular season with a home doubleheader against New York Tech on Saturday. Game one gets underway at noon. Prior to the contest, the Hornets will honor their 2014 senior class.
For complete story, visit www.dsuhornets.com or www.umeshawks.com
NCCU comes up short against Savannah State
SAVANNAH, Ga. – With a chance to earn at least a share of the MEAC’s (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Southern Division crown, costly errors and missed opportunities were just enough for Savannah State to outlast North Carolina Central University 6-4 in the series finale on Friday afternoon at Tiger Baseball Field in Savannah, Ga.
NCCU (18-30-1, 12-11 MEAC) left eight runners on base and struck out nine times in the loss and found itself down 3-0 after three complete thanks to RBI singles from SSU’s Parker Nix and Hector Benitez in the bottom of the third.
Savannah State (20-29, 11-13 MEAC) shut down an Eagle scoring threat in the next inning after Kory Wood’s eighth double of the year with one out on the board, as the next two batters flew out to end the frame.
Down 3-0, NCCU had one out and runners on first and second, the maroon and gray lined into a double play to end the threat.
In the bottom of the fifth, SSU plated three more runs to make it 6-0 after Nix and Zach Brigham both ripped two doubles, while second baseman Mike McHugh’s triple was the highlight of the frame.
The Eagles tried to muster up a rally in the top of the sixth by scoring their first two runs of the game with three straight hits, including Carter Williamson’s RBI single to give him 40 on the year and helped cut the margin to 6-2, but the maroon and gray left the bases loaded in that frame.
In the top of the eighth, NCCU plated two more runs to cut the deficit to two at 6-4 that included an RBI sacrifice fly by sophomore James Dey to give him 21 RBI on the year.
After keeping SSU scoreless over the final three frames, the Eagles could not get over the hump as the Tigers held on for the 6-4 win.
Williamson was the lone Eagle to record multiple hits as he went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in the loss. The bottom four hitters in the NCCU lineup went a combined 1-for-14 at-the-plate.
The loss sends the maroon and gray to 3-19 since 2008 against Savannah State at Tiger Baseball Field.
Next up, NCCU heads down to Tallahassee, Fla. to resume their final matchup against Florida A&M on Saturday, May 10 at 2:00 p.m. from Moore-Kittles Field. When the contest starts back up, the Eagles will be ahead 6-0 in the top of the second inning with the bases loaded at two outs. A win for the maroon and gray clinches second place in the Southern Division.
For complete story, visit www.nccueaglepride.com or www.ssuathletics.com
Bethune-Cookman Drops Low-Hitting Affair at No. 6 Washington
SEATTLE - The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (22-29) scrapped out a three-hitter at sixth-ranked Washington (34-11-1) on Friday night at Husky Ballpark, falling in a 4-0 shutout despite holding the typically heavy-hitting Huskies.
Starter Montana Durapau (9-1) took his first loss of the year while pitching a seven-inning one-hit gem; exiting the contest after reaching his pitch count. The Huskies picked up an early unearned run off Durapau, as center fielder Braden Bishop scored in the first on Robert Pehl’s RBI groundout, after reaching on an error. UW added another in the fifth after Austin Rei evaded the tag on a rundown and crossed the plate on Bishop’s sacrifice bunt.
Facing reliever Christopher Waltermire, the Huskies added two more in the eighth, with Andrew Ely scoring on an outfield throwing error, and Kyle London coming home on Chris Baker’s full count RBI walk.
The Wildcats held the Huskies to just three runs in the game. With UW batting .294 on the year, only ninth-ranked Oregon has held the Huskies to fewer hits this season.
On offense, the Wildcats were limited by starter Jared Fisher (5-3), who pitched five innings for the win, recording only three hits in the non-conference contest. Of B-CU’s six runner’s left on base, three were stranded in scoring position.
Bryant Munoz, Eric Sams and Shaun McCarty each recorded hits for the Wildcats.
The three-game series continues on Saturday with a doubleheader at Husky Ballpark, beginning at 1 p.m. PT. At the conclusion of the series, the Wildcats will travel directly to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Baseball Championships, which begin Wednesday (May 14) in Norfolk, Va.
The Wildcats control a share of the MEAC Southern Division title, which was narrowed to a two-team race on Friday with Savannah State topping North Carolina Central, 6-4, in the completion of a suspended game. Another incomplete game will be concluded on Saturday in Tallahassee, Fla., and will determine the final standings, as an NCCU win over Florida A&M would grant the Wildcats the outright title; the reversal would leave B-CU sharing the division lead with FAMU.
For complete story, visit www.bcuathletics.com