May 9, 2010

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

PRINCESS ANNE, MD.- The North Carolina Central University baseball team mustered up just enough offense and timely pitching to finish off the 2010 season on a high note as the Diamond Eagles split its "Mother's Day" doubleheader against the University of Maryland Eastern Shore by dropping game one 10-5 and end the season with an 8-5 win in game two on Sunday afternoon at Hawk Stadium.

Game one saw the Eagles bolt out to an early lead after two scoreless innings with five runs in the top of the third innings. It all began when Hood and senior Justin Goodson (Stone Mountain, Ga.) started the frame off with consecutive singles that was followed up by a two-run single by freshman Nate Smith (Raleigh, N.C.) to plate the first two runs of the day. NCCU added three more runs when Smith scored on a UMES throwing error, an Anthony Wilson (Fort Washington, Md.) RBI single, an RBI groundout by Edward Pegues (Laurinburg, N.C.) that put the Diamond Eagles up 5-0.

UMES went on to score in the next three innings to climb back to within one run at 5-4 after five complete.

The contest stayed that way until the bottom of the eighth inning when the Hawks blasted NCCU for six runs on five hits along with a couple of Eagle errors to take a 10-5 lead which stayed that way as NCCU was unable to comeback in the top of the ninth dropping game one.

The Eagles left a combined 10 runners on base in the first contest. Smith finished game one going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored to lead the way for NCCU.

Game two saw the Eagles load the bases from the get-go thanks to two hits by Hood and Farquharson, while Goodson reached on an error by UMES. After Hood was forced out at home, sophomore Anthony Wilson hit a single to center field to drive in two runs putting NCCU on top 2-0.

The scored stayed that way until the third inning when the Hawks finally put its first run on the board to cut the deficit to 2-1 after three complete.

The Diamond Eagles made its biggest statement in the top of the fifth by scoring four runs on five hits and it was once again started by Hood, Goodson, and Farquharson who all registered hits in the inning. After Kurt Wilson and Ross Plummer (Winston-Salem, N.C.) reached on UMES miscues to score both Goodson and Farquharson, Pegues singled to left field to drive in the fourth and final run of the inning to put NCCU up 6-1.

After UMES rallied for two more runs in the bottom half of the fifth to put the score at 6-3, the Eagles added its final two runs of the contest, which all began thanks to Hood's sixth double of the season. After Hood advanced to third on a wild pitch and Farquharson walked, Kurt Wilson reached base on an error by UMES which brought in Hood, and Plummer followed it up with a single up the middle to drive in Farquharson to put the Eagles up 8-3. The drama unfolded in the bottom of the seventh inning when the Hawks added two runs on the board to cut the deficit to 8-5, but the Eagles were able to hold off the UMES rally with a double play to end the ballgame and earn the split at 8-5.

Senior lefty Joseph Cobb ended his Eagle career in style by going 6.1 innings allowing only four earned runs in the game along with five strikeouts to earn the win in his final game at NCCU. Junior Brandon Oatis came in for the final two outs to earn the save. In fact, Oatis threw just two pitches in his final outing of the year.

Throughout the entire weekend, sophomore catcher Etienne Farquharson (Inagua, Bahamas) saved his best four-game stretch for last as he went 10-for-14 (.714) with seven runs scored, two doubles, and four RBIs. That performance boosted his batting average to .308 in his first season at NCCU. Akeem Hood (Raleigh, N.C.) went 8-for-18 (.444) at the dish with a double and four runs scored. Senior Kurt Wilson (Riverdale, Ga.) made his final four games in maroon and gray certainly count as he went 7-for-17 (.412) over the weekend with a double, triple, home run, three runs scored, and five RBIs.

After seven meetings between these two, UMES leads the series 5-2.

NCCU ends the 2010 season at 3-44 and looks to the future as Dr. Henry White continues to grow this program after completing just its fourth year after a 31-year hiatus.

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