Box Score
Complete Box Score
DAVIDSON, N.C. (NCCUEaglePride.com) – The North Carolina Central University baseball team nearly pulled off the biggest upset since bringing back the sport in 2007 as the Eagles held the host Wildcats to eight hits and allowed runs in just two innings, but it wasn’t enough as Davidson College held on for the 4-2 win on Wednesday night at Wilson Field in Davidson, N.C.
NCCU started the ballgame off with two consecutive hits from junior Akeem Hood (Raleigh, N.C.) and freshman Troy Marrow (Lutherville, Md.) to give the Eagles runners at first and second and one out. With the momentum and the hit-and-run on Hood injured his leg on a foul ball and had to leave the game, bringing in freshman Alex Moore, III (Greensboro, N.C.) who was then picked off heading to third base and freshman Carter Williamson (Roanoke, Va.) grounded out to the Wildcat shortstop after injuring himself by fouling a ball off his foot. Those two misfortunes cost the Diamond Eagles a chance to score a run in the first frame.
Senior Douglas Dalley (Durham, N.C.) had one of the best performances of his Eagle career on Wednesday night as he threw five complete innings struck out two batters and allowed just one run and only four hits.
The lone run he allowed in the outing came in the second inning when Davidson’s Kelly Myers singled to drive in Danny Weiss putting the Wildcats up 1-0. Dalley struck out Sam Payne to keep the damage at a minimum in the second.
The score stayed that way until the top of the fifth when the Eagles made their move with one out when freshman Tyson Simpson, Jr. (Burgaw, N.C.) hit his second double of the season, followed up by a Ross Plummer (Winston-Salem, N.C.) single to put runners at first and third with one out. Freshman Dylan Drayton drove in the first run for NCCU on the night on a hit-and-run that the Wildcats defense could not make a play on driving in Simpson and moving Plummer over to third. Moore, III came up and recorded his second career RBI with an RBI groundout to give NCCU the 2-1 lead.
After a scoreless fifth inning the wheels came off for NCCU temporarily as Jasper Jones (Hookerton, N.C.) plunked the first batter of the sixth and three hits later including two doubles, Davidson was back on top 4-2. The final two outs of the sixth inning were perhaps the most spectacular as Marrow caught one bouncing ball down the third base line with his bare throwing hand, and the other came on a tough hop that was followed by a frozen rope to first base to keep the Wildcats at bay.
That would be just enough for the Wildcats who held the Eagles in check the rest of the way holding NCCU to eight hits on the night leaving a total of eight runners on base in the loss.
Senior Brandon Oatis (Matthews, N.C.) came on in relief and pitched a solid two and two-thirds innings allowing just one hit and walking only one batter.
Leading the way for NCCU (1-23) was both senior Edward Pegues (Laurinburg, N.C.) who went 2-for-4 at the plate and Plummer who also went 2-for-4. Simpson, Jr. was the lone Eagle to record and extra base hit.
Weather permitting; NCCU is set to travel to Buies Creek, N.C. to take on the Camels of Campbell University at Taylor Field on Wednesday evening at 6:00 p.m.
Stay up-to-date with NCCU Athletics by logging onto www.NCCUEaglePride.com, the official website of the North Carolina Central University Athletics Department.
