May 9, 2009

Final Stats |  Senior Day Gallery 

Cary, N.C.- In a "Senior Day" doubleheader, the North Carolina Central University Eagles used a four-run fifth inning to end a 14-game losing streak winning game one 7-6, but an Eagle rally was halted to due to severe thunderstorms in the second contest with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore leading 11-7 in the bottom of the sixth, thus giving the Hawks the rubber match of the series at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary, N.C.

After honoring current seniors Robert Landis, Oliver Jenkins, along with 2007 CIAA Regular Season championship team members Gene Suarez and Marcus Moore on Senior Day, the Eagles took charge in the first game, on a throwing error by right fielder Franklin Armstrong that scored Akeem Hood putting the Eagles ahead 1-0 in the first inning.

Thanks to a solid effort from NCCU junior transfer Joseph Cobb, who kept the Hawks scoreless through three innings, along with help from two more Eagle runs that gave Cobb a 3-0 lead to work with.

NCCU blew the game open in the fifth inning when sophomore catcher Robert Grant led off with his first double of the season to left center field. Freshman right fielder Akeem Hood hit a single, sophomore David Scott reached on a fielder's choice, sophomore Blake Murray extended his hitting streak to 19 games, and junior Kurt Wilson hit a single to help the Eagles plate four runs and pull ahead of UMES 7-2 in the fifth. The Eagles scored four runs on four hits in the frame.

The Hawks swooped back in the contest with four runs with two outs in the top of the sixth to pull within one at 7-6. The Eagles then brought in freshman Brandon Strickland to close the door on UMES and NCCU held on to take game one 7-6. Cobb (1-5) picked up his first win at NCCU, and Strickland was credited with his third save of the season.

Game two saw UMES take a 4-1 lead at the bottom of the second innings when David Scott hit a solo shot to left field cutting the deficit to 4-2. The home run was Scott's first of the season.

With NCCU 8-2 in the bottom of the fifth, the Eagles plated two runs thanks to an Edward Pegues single driving in two runs to give the Eagles their third and fourth runs of the game. UMES plated three more runs in the sixth to pull ahead 11-4.

With thunderstorms in the area, the Eagles mounted a furious rally when both Scott and Murray led off with walks. A Kurt Wilson single loaded the bases and Robert Landis drew a walk to pull the Eagles within six. Justin Goodson pounded a double to right center field scoring Murray and Wilson cutting the deficit to 11-7 with one out. Grant followed Goodson's double with a strikeout, and ended up being the final play of the season with thunderstorms just minutes away the game was ended with NCCU having runners on second and third with two outs.

The loss gives the weekend series to UMES and ends the 2009 season for NCCU, who finishes with a 6-35 in its second season at the Division I level.