Devilme tosses masterpiece in Coppin State win
DOVER, Del. – Jhar Devilme tossed a masterpiece to lead the Coppin State baseball team to an 8-4 victory over Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Northern Division regular season champion Delaware State Sunday afternoon at Solider Field.
Devilme struck out six batters and allowed three earned runs over 8.1 innings to help the Eagles (11-31 overall, 9-15 MEAC) win their second straight Sunday contest. This was Devilme’s fourth straight start in which he allowed three earned runs or less. He has a 3.63 earned run average and 20 strikeouts in 22.1 innings on the hill for CSU. Devilme tamed the nation’s leading hitting team by holding them to seven hits.
Backed by an explosive offense that pounded out 14 hits, Devilme’s strong pitching effort was rewarded with a victory. It was the eighth time this season, CSU had double-digit hits in a game.
Coppin State had six players finish with at least two hits led by the red-hot Jeffrey Fitch, who paced the Eagles offense with three hits, including a double and a two-run single during a three-run fourth inning that gave CSU a 4-0 edge. For Fitch, it was his third three-hit outing of the season.
David Hamlett, Michael Wright, John Walls, Alex Brown and Bryant Miranda had two hits each for Coppin State. Overall, the top five hitters in Coppin State’s lineup were a combined 11-for-24 (.458 batting average) on Sunday afternoon. Coppin State raced to a 6-0 advantage before the Hornets cut the lead in half with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Despite that the Eagles remained cool and added a pair of runs in the top of the ninth inning on RBI hits from Brown and Chris Godfrey. Against Delaware State this season in nine games, Brown had a .452 average (14-for-31) and Walls hit at a .400 clip (8-for-20). Brown also had 14 RBIs against the Hornets this season.
Chase Dailey paced Delaware State (26-15, 15-7) with a pair of hits.
Coppin State returns home Tuesday to face Richmond at Joe Cannon Stadium at 3:00 p.m. in its regular season finale.
For complete story, visit www.coppinstatesports.com or www.dsuhornets.com
Spartans Overwhelm UMES 15-1, Cap 3-Game Sweep
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – Zach Markel and Justin Lee each knocked in three runs as Norfolk State completed a three-game weekend sweep of host Maryland Eastern Shore, 15-1, on Sunday afternoon at Hawks Stadium.
The Spartans (18-24, 14-10 MEAC) posted a season high in runs and were one shy of their season high with 16 hits. The end result was a second 10-run rule win in two days over UMES (13-29, 8-14), as Sunday’s game was stopped after eight innings. The Spartans outscored UMES 34-5 in the series.
Lee’s three RBI represent a career high, and he was one of four players – along with Markel, Chase Kyriacou and Robert Reaume – who all went 2-for-3.
Right hander Josh Vales (2-5) enjoyed his best outing as a Spartan to pick up the victory on the mound. He allowed just two hits and one run and fanned a season-high five batters over five innings of work. Relievers Jeff Di Fulgo, Justin Bhatti, Cooper Jones and Jay Dee Johnson combined to allow just two more hits over three innings to finish off the four-hitter.
Lee got the scoring started for NSU with a two-out, two-run double off UMES starter Chipper Smith (2-6) in the top of the second. The Hawks countered with Mike Escanilla’s RBI single off Vales in the bottom of the second, but that would be all UMES could muster off NSU pitching.
NSU’s offense struck for four runs in the fourth. Justin Burrell tripled and scored on a single by Reaume. Lee tripled Reaume home and came home one batter later on a single by Chase Kyriacou. Markel capped the rally with a sacrifice fly.
NSU added an unearned run in the fifth, then extended its lead to 9-1 on Markel’s two-run single in the sixth.
The Spartans turned to their bench in the later innings, and everyone got into the action at the plate. Ian Horne hit a pinch hit RBI single to ignite the Spartans’ six-run eighth inning. Omar Hotusing and Kyle Vaas, who both came in off the bench, added run-scoring singles in the inning and Cody Ellis tacked on a two-run single of his own as the lead swelled to 15-1.
Twelve different Spartans accounted for the team’s 16 hits. Reaume, Andre’ Moore and Ross Cardwell all scored two runs each.
The Spartans return home for the first time in more than a month this week for their final regular-season series. NSU hosts Jackson State at 6 p.m. Thursday and for a 1 p.m. doubleheader Friday at Marty L. Miller Field.
For complete story, visit www.nsuspartans.com or www.umeshawks.com
Birdsong’s RBI Single in the 10th Lifts FAMU Over A&T 4-3
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Michael Birdsong’s walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning scored Marlon Gibbs to lift Florida A&M (21-24, 13-10 MEAC) 4-3 over North Carolina A&T (16-32, 9-15 MEAC) on Sunday afternoon at Moore-Kittles Field. The win marked the eighth straight win for FAMU in games decided by one run and the 13 MEAC wins is also a school record.
Brandon Fleming (4-4) worked 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief for the win. Ryan Kennedy led the Rattlers going 4-for-5 at the plate, while Birdsong added two RBI for FAMU on the day.
All three runs scored by A&T were unearned.
The Aggies had a scoring opportunity go by the wayside in the top of the fifth inning. Kyle Clary led off the fifth with a single through the left side and stole second with one out. After a fly out in foul territory that allowed Clary to tag up and advance to third, Luke Tendler was walked for the third time to put runners on the corners. Tendler immediately stole second but a fly out to right by Ryan Hill stranded the runners, keeping the Aggies off the board.
FAMU broke open a scoreless game with three runs in the sixth inning. Gibbs drew a walk to open the home half of the inning and Kennedy followed with a single into right center to put runners on first and second. Still with no outs, Jeremy Barlow ripped an RBI double down the left line to plate Gibbs for the first run of the game. With runners at second and third, Birdsong doubled down the right line to score Kennedy, but Barlow held up at third. Luckily, Hutson’s sac fly to center plated Barlow in what turned out to be a very important third run of the inning to make the score 3-0.
In the seventh inning, the Aggies had a runner in scoring position, but again was unable to bring the run home. Bo McMillan reached on a fielding error by Kennedy to start the inning. Brandon Mitchell followed with a walk before John Marcus Roberts came in for relief of Rattler starter Kendal Weeks with one out and runners on first and second. On the very first batter, Roberts pitched Tendler into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning and ending another scoring chance for North Carolina A&T.
The Aggies would tie the game at 3-3 with three runs in the eighth. Hill’s infiled single started it all for A&T and he later moved to second on Jergens’ groundout to first. Hill scored A&T’s first run on a throwing error by Barlow while trying to steal third. With one out, Lester Salcedo singled through the left side and Wilkerson walked putting runners on first and second. Brandon Fleming came in to pitch for Florida A&M as Stefan Jordan flied out to right. Clary’s RBI single to right plated Salcedo and with Wilkerson on third, the Aggies pulled off the double steal allowing Wilkerson to score the tying run.
A&T had things working in the top of the 10th inning as Jordan singled to left with one out. In what turned out to be a big play, Jordan was picked off at first with one out as Clary who was at bat was sitting on two strikes. Clary ended up grounding out to third on the next pitch to end the Aggie inning.
In dramatic fashion, Florida A&M scored the game winning run in the bottom of the 10th for a final score of 4-3. After Robinson flew out to left to lead off the bottom of the inning, Gibbs and Kennedy recorded back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second. Barlow followed with a walk on six pitches to load the bases with one out. With the outfield playing in, Birdsong came through in a huge way with the game-winning RBI single to score Gibbs from third.
Aggie reliever Dylan Hipp (1-1) was tagged with the loss after his base runner turned out to score the game winner. Hipp allowed just one run on two hits in 1/3 of an inning.
The Rattlers close out the home schedule by hosting Jacksonville on Tuesday at 5:00 pm at Moore-Kittles Field. Florida A&M will then travel to Jacksonville on Wednesday, May 7, for the final game of the regular season. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 pm.
For complete story, visit www.famuathletics.com or www.ncataggies.com
Eagles fall in walk-off fashion to Leopards
EASTON, Pa. – Leading 6-4 in the bottom of the ninth, North Carolina Central University allowed the host Leopards of Lafayette College to blast two home runs in the ninth, including the walk off two-run shot to pull off the series sweep with Sunday’s 7-6 win at Kamine Stadium in Easton, Pa.
The cardiac Eagles nearly pulled it off once again, despite trailing 3-0 after the first two innings.
In the top of the third, a leadoff single by senior shortstop Zack Lee later turned into the maroon and gray’s first run off a Leopard throwing error to make it 3-1.
Fast forwarding to the top of the fourth when Kory Wood’s seventh double of the year knotted the game at 3-3.
A Matt Lawrence solo home run gave Lafayette the 4-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth, but NCCU threw its best punch in the top of the eighth to take the lead.
The Eagles scored three runs in the frame to take a 6-4 lead over the Leopards with the help of two errors, a sacrifice bunt by freshman Jared Kehagias and a Cory Williamson RBI single.
After a scoreless bottom of the eighth, freshman Carlos Ortiz was caught stealing after his one out single, which set the stage for Lafayette in the bottom of the ninth.
LC pinch hitter Austen Maggin led off the inning with a solo home run down the right field line to make it 6-5, followed up by Toby Schwartz’s one out two run walk off home run to seal the series sweep with the 7-6 victory.
Depsite the loss, starter Eric Kimber put together one of his finest outings of the year going 6.0 innings and allowing just two earned runs in the contest, while the Eagle offense mustered up just eight hits on the day, as Lee went 2-for-5 at-the-plate in the tough loss.
NCCU (17-29-1, 12-10 MEAC) will return home for the final contest at the Durham Athletic Park in 2014 with a 6:00 p.m. first pitch against Presbyterian College on Tuesday, May 6.
For complete story, visit www.nccueaglepride.com
Bethune-Cookman Unable to Hold Off Savannah State Senior Day Rally
SAVANNAH, Ga. - The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (22-27, 14-10 MEAC) had hoped to play spoiler and complete the Savannah State (19-28, 10-13 MEAC) series sweep in Sunday’s finale, but things didn’t shake out as planned on SSU’s “Senior Day”, as the Tigers came back from a notable first inning deficit to win 8-6 at Tiger Baseball Field.
Carrying over the momentum from Saturday’s doubleheader, the Wildcats went to work early on SSU starter Ethan Glass, opening with three consecutive hits that led to a quick score, as designated hitter Austin Garcia put an RBI single into left field to bring Josh Johnson home. Second baseman Matt Noble reached base on balls to load the bags and third baseman Jordan Robinson sent Bryant Munoz to the plate with an RBI single through the left side.
With just one out away in the first, shortstop Shaun McCarty kept it rolling for B-CU with an RBI bloop single into center field, bringing Garcia in from third.
Just 22 pitches into his outing, Glass had given up three earned runs and left the game in favor of closer Kevin Herlihy, who added two more to the total with RBI for catcher Jose Carballo and Johnson, reaching base on balls and as a hit batter, respectively.
After a less than ideal start for Herlihy, who had pitched just 11 and a third innings in relief to earn three saves, the senior settled in. The gamble paid off for SSU, as Herlihy would throw six additional scoreless innings to give the Tigers’ offense some breathing room.
After a solid opening frame, Gabriel Hernandez struggled with location, and the Tigers capitalized, turning a second-inning David Richards walk into a momentum swing, as Zachary Brigham hit a two-run homer to right field, narrowing the B-CU advantage to 5-2. The Tigers went on to trim the lead to one run on RBI for Mendez Elder and Tre Sikes at 5-4.
Entering in relief, John Sever stabilized the inning and held the Tigers scoreless over the next two frames before hitting a jam in the fifth. The Tigers capitalized on a pair of free bases with consecutive fielder’s choice plays to take the 6-5 lead, adding two more runs in the eighth.
Facing reliever Eric Ricks in the ninth, the Wildcats added one run on Robinson’s RBI groundout, but were unable to bring in a pair of runners in scoring position, falling to SSU 8-6 in the finale.
The Wildcats earned the 2-1 series win, clinching a share of the MEAC Southern divisional crown, but rescheduled conference games around the league will need to be completed, before the final standings are determined. The Wildcats are currently a half-game out in first and could win the outright title, depending on the outcomes of other conference games.
Sever (3-5) takes the loss for the Wildcats, pitching two and a third innings with two earned runs and two hits allowed. Scott Garner closed out the game for the Wildcats, pitching three full innings with two earned runs. For the Tigers, Herlihy (2-0) earns the win, pitching six and two-thirds innings, striking out five and allowing just two hits.
Johnson went 2-for-4 for the Wildcats with an RBI and a run scored, while Garcia was 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Robinson added two RBI on 1-for-4 hitting.
The Wildcats head out on Monday for the most extensive road swing of the year, first traveling to Auburn for a midweek matchup on Tuesday (May 6); ending the week with a three game series at the University of Washington from Thursday to Saturday (May 8-10). Next stop from there is the MEAC Tournament in Norfolk, Va.
For complete story, visit www.bcuathletics.com or www.ssuathletics.com