April 11, 2010

Final Stats

DURHAM, N.C. (NCCUEaglePride.com)- The North Carolina Central University baseball team dug a 13 run hole for itself through the first three innings, committed seven errors, and left a season-high 13 runners on base to drop a 14-8 decision to the Savannah State University Tigers on Sunday afternoon at the Durham Athletic Park.

The miscues for NCCU began at the onset as Julius Green's pop up bunt attempt went through the legs of second baseman Justin Goodson (Stone Mountain, Ga.) setting the tone for the day. Two batters later, the visiting Tigers pounced on the Eagles on Johnathan Ross's seventh home run of the season, his second three-run dinger in the top of the first inning in the last two games putting SSU up 3-0.

NCCU tried to return the favor in the bottom half of the frame when Goodson singled to center field, but freshman Nate Smith (Raleigh, N.C.) hit into an inning ending double play to keep the Eagles scoreless after one inning.

Savannah State answered with another three runs as backstop Chris Arnold reached as the leadoff hitter on a throwing error by senior Kurt Wilson (Riverdale, Ga.). After the Tigers loaded bases, a balk, an RBI groundout, and a rundown saw SSU grab a 6-0 edge with just one hit in the frame.

The Eagles completely fell apart in the top of the third when Savannah State added seven more runs to the scoreboard on just four hits, and two more Eagle miscues contributed to a 13-0 deficit for NCCU.

The deficit could have been much worse had it not been for senior lefty Joseph Cobb (Raleigh, N.C.) striking out a season-high six batters in two-and-two-thirds innings of work.

Trailing 13-0 after four innings, NCCU kept on battling as the Eagles got on the scoreboard in the fifth inning behind three hits including Smith's RBI single to right field that helped cut the deficit to 13-2.

The Diamond Eagles continued to fight and scratch and added three more runs in the sixth inning when sophomore Etienne Farquharson (Inagua, Bahamas) hit a towering three-run homer to left field to cut the deficit to eight making the score 13-5 after six innings.

SSU added a run in the top of the seventh inning to widen the margin to nine runs at 14-5, while NCCU added another run in the bottom of the frame on Edward Pegues's (Laurinburg, N.C.) RBI double to right centerfield. While NCCU did manage to plate one run in the inning, they left the bases loaded and trailed 14-6 going into the final two innings.

The Diamond Eagles made one last charge in the bottom of the ninth inning when Farquharson drove in the game's final runs on an RBI double to center field cutting the deficit to 14-8, but the comeback fell short for NCCU as they left the bases loaded for the second time in the last three innings to drop the final game of the weekend series. Shining bright for NCCU (1-31) was sophomore catcher Farquharson who had his best day at the plate as an Eagle going 3-for-4 at the dish with two runs scored, a double, and his second home run of the season that gave him five RBIs on the day. Hood, Parker, and Goodson all racked up two hits apiece for NCCU.

Credit has to be given to the Eagle pitching staff who shutdown the Tiger bats after the disastrous first three innings. Cobb, Glenn Frye (Lillington, N.C.), Jeremy Tillet (Mebane, N.C.), and Tim Rennard (Knightdale, N.C.) all combined for 12 strike outs and the last three allowed just four hits in the last six innings.

The Diamond Eagles get back to the grind as they take the short 31-mile jaunt to Raleigh, N.C. to take on cross county rival NC State on Tuesday night at 6:30 at Doak Field at Dial Park. These two teams met on March 16 at the Durham Athletic Park with the visiting Wolfpack taking a 24-6 decision over NCCU.

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