March 30, 2010

Final Stats

DURHAM, N.C. (NCCUEaglePride.com)- The North Carolina Central University baseball team scored a season-high 15 runs hit three home runs, but left 11 runners on including two bases loaded situations in a 20-15 loss to the Virginia State University Trojans on Tuesday afternoon at the Durham Athletic Park.

NCCU jumped out in front of the visiting Trojans in the bottom of the second inning when Anthony Wilson (Fort Washington, Md.) and Derrell Parker (North Miami Beach, Fla.) both reached base with singles. With one out and two runners on sophomore Ross Plummer (Winston-Salem, N.C.) hit his first home run of the season to center field putting the Eagles up 3-0. NCCU ended up loaded the bases with two outs in the inning following singles by Akeem Hood (Raleigh, N.C.) and Kurt Wilson (Riverdale, Ga.) along with a Nate Smith (Knightdale, N.C.) walk. Junior Blake Murray (Wendell, N.C.) unfortunately struck out looking missing a golden opportunity to blow the game wide open.

In the top of the third inning with the Eagles up 3-0, Virginia State used four walks, along with four hits to drop seven runs on NCCU and chased senior lefty Joseph Cobb (Raleigh, N.C.) from the ballgame taking a 7-3 lead heading into the bottom of the third.

With one out and no one on base, Parker cranked his second career home run of the season to right center to cut the margin to three at 7-4 after three innings.

The visiting Trojans added two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth inning to widen the margin at 10-4 after five innings.

The sixth inning proved to be NCCU's undoing as two fielding errors led to a five-run explosion in the frame. The first error committed in the frame was followed up by a three-run home run by VSU's DeShawn Showell. The five runs pushed the advantage for the Trojans up to 15-4.

NCCU followed that up with three runs on three hits including Kurt Wilson's third double of the season that drove in his sixth RBI of the year. Following Smith's RBI ground out and a wild pitch the Eagles cut the deficit to eight at 15-7 heading into the seventh inning.

After a scoreless seventh frame, the Trojans put the finishing touches on the Eagles with a three-run homer by Shawn McEnhimer and a two-run dinger by Marcus Waller putting VSU up 20-7.

NCCU added a run in the eighth inning, but left three more runners stranded as three straight Eagle batters were retired with no outs and the bases loaded.

That came back to haunt the Eagles in the bottom of the ninth inning, as NCCU scored seven runs that included Parker's second home run of the game, his first career grand slam. Not to be forgotten an RBI single by Smith, and an Anthony Wilson single that drove in two runs. This was all done with two outs, and unfortunately the Eagles could not keep the rally going falling in the contest 20-15.

This loss has to hurt for NCCU (0-23) who walked 11 batters on the day, committed three errors, and left 11 runners stranded in the game.

Shining bright for the Eagles as they collected a season-high 19 hits, Hood went 4-for-5 with three runs scored, Kurt Wilson went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI, Anthony Wilson went 3-for-6 with two runs scored and two RBIs, Parker went 3-for-6 with 3 runs and five RBI including two-homers (First career Grand Slam), and Plummer went 4-for-6 scoring two runs and drove in three RBIs

The Diamond Eagles have a quick turnaround as the crosstown rival Duke University Blue Devils make the 2.5-mile trip from its campus for a 7:00 p.m. first pitch on Wednesday from the Durham Athletic Park.

Junior lefty Brandon Oatis (Matthews, N.C.) is slated to get the start for the Eagles.

To stay up-to-date with NCCU Athletics, log on to NCCUEaglePride.com, the official website of the NCCU Athletics Department.