March 31, 2009

Final Stats

DURHAM, N.C.- The North Carolina Central University baseball team took on their crosstown rival Duke University on Tuesday night at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, and the Blue Devils scored runs in seven of nine innings to take care of the Eagles 16-3.

The Blue Devils scored two or more runs in five of the seven innings, including a five-run third inning to put NCCU behind 6-0 going into the bottom of the third. The one glimmer of hope for NCCU occurred immediately after Duke's explosion, when NCCU sophomore Blake Murray hit a double down the third baseline to bring in freshman outfielder Akeem Hood for the first run of the ballgame for the Eagles. Murray's hit was his fourth double and seventh RBI of the 2009 season.

Following the single run by NCCU (4-13) in the bottom of the third, Duke (18-9) scored runs in the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to put the Eagles away for good at 14-1. With the score no longer in doubt in the bottom of the eighth, the Eagles put two more runs on the board in part because of an Oliver Jenkins leadoff double, and a Murray single to put two men on. NCCU junior outfielder Jerel Campbell's first hit of the season brought in Jenkins to add the Eagles second run on the board. NCCU's third and final run was plated when Kurt Wilson singled to bring in Murray to cut the deficit to 11 at 14-3. The Blue Devils were not done scoring, as its last two runs were plated in the ninth for the final tally of 16-3.

The Blue Devils finished the night with 16 hits, while the Eagles managed just six hits in the loss. Hood shined bright for NCCU, going 2-for-4 with a walk at the plate along with two stolen bases, while scoring once on the night.

Up next for the Eagles is a trip down to the Sunshine state to take on the Florida A&M University Rattlers in doubleheader action starting on Friday (April 3) at 1:00 p.m.