April 3, 2010

Final Stats

SAVANNAH, GA. (NCCUEaglePride.com)- The North Carolina Central University baseball team looked make its second trip to Georgia more pleasant, but five errors, 28 Savannah State University hits, and a combined 15 runners left on base found the Eagles swept 11-1 and 11-6 in doubleheader action at Tiger Field on Saturday afternoon.

Game one saw Savannah State rip off four runs on three hits and two Eagle errors to grab a first inning lead at 4-0. Dexter Kelley's double down the left field line drove in half of the runs that gave the host Tigers the early lead they never relinquished.

The Eagles scored its first and only run of the day's first game on Robert Grant's (Graham, N.C.) first double of the season driving in Justin Goodson (Stone Mountain, Ga.) and cutting the deficit to 4-1 after three innings.

It was from that point on that SSU's Michael Allegretti and Jason Wynn combined to shut down the Eagle lineup and the Tiger offense kept its foot on the gas. NCCU was held to just three hits on the final five frames and SSU scored at least one run in that same span, including three runs on four hits in the fifth inning to help Savannah State pull away for the 11-1 game one victory.

Game two was a seven-inning affair that saw both teams go back and forth before Savannah State pulled away for the sweep.

In the top of the third inning, NCCU scored first when Edward Pegues (Laurinburg, N.C.) led off a single to center field, followed by Akeem Hood's (Raleigh, N.C.) second double of the season that advanced Pegues over to third. Georgia product, Kurt Wilson (Riverdale, Ga.) drove in Pegues on a sacrifice fly and freshman Nate Smith (Raleigh, N.C.) drove in Hood for his ninth RBI of the season to give the Diamond Eagles the early 2-0.

The NCCU advantage did not last long as the Tigers rallied for three runs in the bottom of the frame that included another RBI by Kelley to help SSU take the lead back at 3-2.

The following inning saw the Eagles grab the lead back at 4-3 thanks in part to a Blake Murray seventh RBI of the year on a double, followed by a Pegues's second single up the middle to give him three RBIs on the season.

Once again, the Savannah State bats came alive when the Eagles challenged scoring three runs in the fifth and its final five runs to widen the margin to 11-4 after six innings. The Tigers racked up four singles, one double, and had the help of an Eagle error to assist in the explosive six inning.

The Diamond Eagles mustered only two runs in the final frame coming up short in the loss 11-6 in game two of the twinbill. NCCU (0-25) was led by Pegues who finished 3-for-4 with an RBI on the day, while Goodson went 2-for-3 scoring two runs, with an RBI, along with four walks to help lead the Eagles.

The Diamond Eagles look to salvage one game in the series on Sunday afternoon beginning at noon at Tiger Field. Durham native Douglas Dalley is set to take the hill for NCCU in the weekend finale.

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