April 17, 2010

Box Score

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (NCCUEaglePride.com)- The North Carolina Central University baseball team racked up just 17 hits, left 16 runners on base, and allowed Davidson College's Chris Lamb to strike out a career-high 16 batters, while the Wildcats scored at least one run in 11 of 13 at-bats to fall in doubleheader action 17-7, 9-2 at Wilson Field on Saturday afternoon.

At the beginning of game one it seemed that the Eagle bats were alive and ready to go as the Eagles took a 3-1 lead in the top of the second inning off of four hits and one Wildcat error. Freshman Derrell Parker (North Miami Beach, Fla.) led the frame off with a single to left field followed immediately by Anthony Wilson (Fort Washington, Md.) reaching on the lone Davidson error in game one, putting two runners on with no outs. Sophomore backstop Etienne Farquharson (Inaqua, Bahamas) loaded the bases with no outs on a bunt single. Following a strikeout by junior designated hitter Edward Pegues (Laurinburg, N.C.), sophomore Ross Plummer (Winston-Salem, N.C.) drove in the first run on a sacrifice fly to center field, putting the Eagles up 1-0. Junior David Scott (Bunn, N.C.) ripped a single to right field to give NCCU a 2-0 lead. Sophomore Akeem Hood (Raleigh, N.C.) put the finishing touches on the three run inning with a single to right field and the maroon and gray were up 3-1 heading into the bottom of the second.

Davidson took a 4-3 lead with a run in the next half inning and two in the third, while NCCU added a run in the top of the third and the game was knotted at 4-4 after three complete.

The top of the fourth saw Pegues hit his first double of the season, followed by Scott's first two-bagger as well to score the lone run and see NCCU take a 5-4 lead.

That would be the last lead the Eagles held in the first contest as the Wildcats ripped five runs in the bottom of the fourth off of four hits, and it got started when DC's Seth Freeman hit his first home run of the season over the left field fence to tie the game at 5-5. Tommy Piacenza's two-run triple was the high point of the frame for the Wildcats who took a 9-5 lead after four complete and never looked back.

Davidson added three runs in the sixth, 3 runs in the seventh, and two in the eighth, while NCCU could only muster a run in both the seventh and the eighth innings falling in the first game 17-7.

Senior lefty Joseph Cobb (Raleigh, N.C.) took the loss for the Eagles. Cobb (0-6) has 10 strikeouts in the last six innings of work.

Game two once again saw the Eagles come out strong and take an early lead, this time in the top of the first inning. Hood led off with an infield single followed by a stolen base which he advanced to third on a Davidson throwing error. Goodson reached on a wild pitch that scored Hood from third to put NCCU up 1-0. Smith reached on a second infield hit, and Parker was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. The ensuing batter, Pegues, became the second batter to get plunked which scored another run putting the Eagles ahead 2-0. The stage was set for NCCU to blow the game open in the first frame, but after Smith was caught a run down, Davidson's lefty, Chris Lamb, struck out the side to keep the damage at a minimum for the Wildcats.

NCCU's starter for game two, Drew Robinson (Carthage, N.C.) came out of the gates throwing smoke, keeping Davidson scoreless until the third inning when they scored two runs to tie the game up at 2-2.

The Wildcats went on to score in four consecutive innings and after Lamb mowed down three-in-a-row in the third, he struck out two of three in the fourth.

In the top of the fifth, the Eagles seemed to have made its move as they loaded the bases with no outs, but Lamb battled back to strike out the next three batters to keep the Wildcats on top 4-2.

It was after that where the Wildcats saw its chance to pull away by scoring four more runs in the bottom of the fifth to give them an 8-2 lead after five innings.

Davidson added one more run in the sixth while the Eagles were limited to four hits in the 9-2 loss in game two.

Robinson (0-7) took the loss for NCCU going 3.2 innings allowing just four runs on two hits, but four walks and three hit-batters added to the loss.

NCCU (1-34) had solid efforts on the day from Scott who went 3-for-6 with a double and an RBI on the day. Parker also went 3-for-6 at the dish with a double, a run scored and two RBIs. Parker now has a team-high 13 RBIs on the year. Hood was the final Eagle to rack up three combined hits on the day along with a run and two RBIs.

The Diamond Eagles look to salvage a game in the weekend set on Sunday, April 18, beginning at 2:00 p.m. at the Durham Athletic Park. Eagle Gameday presented by the Hilton RTP airs at 1:45 p.m. Tune in as Chris Hooks counts listeners down to first pitch of the Sunday series finale.

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