April 18, 2009

Final Stats

ELON, N.C.- The North Carolina Central University Eagles baseball team traveled 35 miles west on I-40 to match-up with the Elon University Phoenix at Latham Park on Friday night, failing to score a run for the second straight game, and allowing 19 hits as Elon beat NCCU 22-0.

In the top of the first inning it looked as if the Eagles were going to get a lucky bounce or two, with Akeem Hood reaching on an infield single that bounced off of Elon hurler, Jimmy Reyes. Hood moved all the way around to third with one out on the heels of a throwing error by Phoenix catcher Mike Melillo. The ensuing batter, David Scott, hit a hard line drive right at Reyes who made a spectacular play and doubled up Hood to end the threat in the top-half of the first. In the bottom half of that inning Elon manufactured its first run on Pat Irvine's RBI single to right field to take a 1-0 lead.

NCCU's Brandon Strickland was going strong into the third inning including a lead-off groundout by Southern Conference Preseason Player of the Year, Cory Harrilchak, for the innings first out. The next batter Chance Austin hit a towering shot to left field to put Elon up 2-0 with one out in the third. The Phoenix went on to plate six more runs in the frame to take an 8-0 lead after three.

The bottom of the fourth saw Elon put up three more runs to make it 11-0, but after scoreless innings in the fifth and the sixth, the bottom fell out for the Eagles in the seventh. Elon racked up 10 runs on eight hits, including Chance Austin's second home run of the game, a three-run shot to left center field putting the game out of reach at 21-0. One more Phoenix run was added in the eighth for the final run of the ballgame.

Elon's pitcher Jimmy Reyes pitched eight innings and struck out 10 Eagle batters. NCCU freshman Anthony Wilson finished 3-for-3 at the plate, while Hood ended up going 2-for-4 in the loss.

NCCU (5-23) looks to salvage a game against Elon (22-12) in the two-game set tomorrow night at Latham Park with first pitch set at 7:00.

-Note: Prior to tonight's meeting Elon and NCCU last met on April 3, 1974 (Elon won 9-0 by forfeit)