Box Score | Updated Bracket | Championship Central
NORFOLK, Va., May 20, 2021—Southern Division top seed North Carolina Central opened the 2021 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Baseball Championship with a 9-4 win over Delaware State on Thursday afternoon at Marty L. Miller Field on the campus of Norfolk State University.
NCCU (26-18) advances to Friday’s 12 p.m. semifinal against either Norfolk State or Florida A&M. Delaware State falls into the elimination bracket, set to play on Friday at 3:30 p.m. against the loser of the Norfolk State-Florida A&M game.
The Eagles struck first in the bottom of the opening frame, pushing across three runs after MEAC Pitcher of the Year Ryan Miller set the Hornets down in order in the top of the inning. Luis DeLeon got the scoring started, singling to left to bring home Kokko Figueiredo.
Jacob Raby followed with an RBI single of his own and DeLeon scored on a passed ball to give NCCU a 3-0 lead.
The Hornets (15-27) got a run back in the third, when Miguel Rivera brought in Mike Worthington on a groundout to short, cutting the lead to 3-1.
Delaware State used a two-spot in the top of the fifth inning to tie the game at 3-3; Mason Brewer scored the first run, coming in all the way from first on a throwing error, before John Weglarz singled home Tripp Kimmell to tie the game.
Figueiredo gave the Eagles the lead back in the bottom of the sixth, singling down the right field line to bring in Nick Fajardo, who had doubled and taken third on a wild pitch, to take a 4-3 lead. Figueiredo, who took third on an error on the play, later scored on a wild pitch to give the Eagles a 5-3 lead.
Welgarz added another RBI single in the seventh to cut NCCU’s lead to 5-4.
Kobe Phillips gave the Eagles some breathing room in the bottom of the frame, knocking a two-run shot over the left field wall after a Cameron Norgren double to give NCCU a 7-4 lead. It was his third homer of the season.
Cort Maynard added a solo blast of his own, his sixth of 2021, in the eighth to make it an 8-4 lead. Norgren had an RBI single later in the inning to stretch the lead to 9-4.
The Hornets loaded the bases in the ninth inning, but Scott Meylan, a First Team All-MEAC selection, came in with two outs to strike out Krew Bouldin to end the game.
Figueiredo led the Eagles at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored. He was also strong on defense, figuring into a pair of inning-ending double plays.
Maynard reached base four times, going 2-for-3 with a pair of walks.
Miller struck out three in five innings of work, though he didn’t factor into the decision.
Weglarz was 3-for-5 at the plate for the Hornets, driving in a pair. Rivera was also 3-for-5 with an RBI.