Box Score
Box Score
DURHAM, N.C. - North Carolina Central University left 12 runners stranded, including the potential game-tying run at second base in the bottom of the ninth inning, during a tightly-contested 8-6 baseball loss to Presbyterian College on Tuesday night inside the historic Durham Athletic Park.
NCCU junior center fielder
Nate Smith and sophomore second baseman #Tyson Simpson, Jr.#, each blasted home runs as part of two-hit performances at the plate. Sophomore third baseman
Troy Marrow and sophomore catcher
Carter Williamson also had two hits for the Eagles, while senior right fielder Ross Plummer added an RBI double.
Presbyterian was sparked by first baseman Kenny Bryant, who hit 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Right fielder Brandon Paul contributed two hits with a double and an RBI, while center fielder Gabe Grammer also tallied two hits with a double and a run scored, and pitched the ninth inning to earn the save.
The Blue Hose out-hit NCCU 13-11 with each team committing an error.
PC starting pitcher Chad White tossed 6.0 innings, scattered seven hits and allowed four runs with four strikeouts to pick up the victory, improving his record to 2-0.
NCCU starter
Michael Romano pitched 3.0 innings, surrendered seven hits and four runs (only two earned runs) in the loss. Closer
Gavin Guarrera kept the Eagles close by throwing 3.2 innings and holding PC to just one run on two hits.
Presbyterian plated two runs on three hits in the opening frame. Williamson drove in a run for the Eagles in the first inning with a two-out single. The Blue Hose notched a pair of unearned runs in the top of the second inning to take a 4-1 advantage.
The Eagles narrowed the deficit to 4-3 courtesy of a two-out, two-run home run by Simpson in the bottom of the fourth.
The Blue Hose responded by scoring twice in the top of the fifth inning to push the visitors’ cushion to 6-3. NCCU answered right back when Smith hit a towering home run over the right field wall to lead off the fifth inning. Later in the fifth, Marrow was thrown out at the plate by Grammer from center field trying to score on a Williamson single, as PC kept the Eagles two runs away at 6-4.
In the PC sixth, NCCU reliever Guarrera inherited bases loaded with one out, but allowed only an RBI single by Ryan Burt before getting out of the jam with a ground ball double-play. The Blue Hose led 7-4 after five-and-a-half innings of play.
In the bottom of the seventh, Marrow doubled and scored on a two-out double by Plummer, bring the Eagles to within two runs again at 7-5.
Bryant’s solo homer in the top of the ninth provided an insurance run for PC.
Marrow opened the bottom of the ninth for NCCU with a single, and later scored on a ground-out by Romano. Plummer and pinch hitter
Anthony Wilson each walked and were at second and third base when the final out of the game was made.
NCCU (1-11) and Presbyterian (4-9) return to the DAP on Wednesday for game two starting at 6 p.m. Admission is free.
