Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Game One Box Score (HTML)


Game Two Box Score (HTML)


DURHAM, N.C. (www.NCCUEaglePride.com) – Despite dropping game one of Saturday’s doubleheader to North Carolina A&T 19-8 at the Durham Athletic Park, North Carolina Central University took control of game two and held on for the 8-5 victory, earning the crucial twinbill split on the day, setting the stage for the rubber match on Sunday, April 15 at 1:00 p.m.
 
Game one was all NC A&T as the Aggies scored runs in the all but one frame in controlling the contest 19-8 as the ended after the eighth inning due to the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) 10-run rule.
 
It all began when A&T took a 3-0 advantage in the top of the first as Marquis Riley and Luke Tendler hit home runs to give the Aggies the earlier momentum.
 
After a scoreless second, NC A&T added four more runs that included three doubles in the frame to put the Aggies up 7-0. 
 
NCCU answered in the bottom of the third with back-to-back hits to start the inning from Tyson Simpson (Burgaw, N.C.) and Dylan Drayton (Raleigh, N.C.) in which both came around to score on a Luke Tendler error and two sacrifice flies to get the maroon and gray on the board trailing 7-3 after three complete innings.
 
A&T added a run in the fourth and two in the fifth to take 10-3 lead and the Eagles tried to mount a rally in the following frame.
 
Three straight hits to begin the bottom of the fifth put the Eagles in position.  Anthony Wilson (Fort Washington, Md.) and Luis Diaz (Geneva, N.Y.) recorded singles as Troy Marrow (Lutherville, Md.) ripped his seventh double of the year to make it 10-4.  After adding two more runs in the frame to make it 10-6, NCCU loaded the bases with two outs when Drayton was robbed by 6-foot-4 first baseman Kelvin Freeman on a line drive that he snagged out of the air keeping the deficit at four heading into the sixth.
 
A&T took that momentum and used it to put the maroon and gray away as Tendler drilled his second round-tripper of the day, this one a three-run shot putting the Aggies up for good at 13-6.
 
NC A&T went on to win game one 19-8 record season highs in hits (20) and runs (19).
 
Marrow finished game one 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored, while Tendler finished 4-for-5 with two home runs, a double, five runs scored, and five RBI.
Game two was a much different ballgame, but the Aggies continued the hot hitting and took the lead from the get-go as Dairio Little drilled double No. 12 of the year with one out in the top of the first and later plated the first run on Freeman’s RBI single as the Aggies took a 1-0 lead.
 
The Eagles finally had an answer in the bottom-half of the frame as Drayton led off with a walk and advanced to third on a Simpson sacrifice bunt.  Diaz followed that up with an infield hit to put runners at first and third with one out.  Marrow drove in the first run on an error by A&T’s Michael Radford tying the game at 1-1.  Sophomore Carter Williamson (Roanoke, Va.) gave the Eagles their first lead of the day on a single to center field making it 3-1 in favor of NCCU.
 
In the bottom of the second inning with one out, Drayton reached on an Aggie error and Simpson made A&T pay by crushing with his second home run of the season to right centerfield putting NCCU up 5-1 after two innings.
 
The drama of the rivalry skyrocketed in the top of the fourth when the Aggies had a runner on third and two outs as Radford hit a short fly ball to right field that senior Ross Plummer (Winston-Salem, N.C.) seemed to bobble and trap against his body, thus ending the inning.  After a brief discussion the call was overturned and the Aggies added a run to cut the deficit to 5-2.  The next batter, Andre McKoy, hit two doubles and two triples in game one, ripped a double down the left field line, but Drayton’s frozen rope gunned Radford at home sending the Eagle dugout into a frenzy as NCCU held on to a 5-2 advantage.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, the maroon and gray made its final push with two outs as Drayton followed up Wilson’s two out walk with an infield hit beating out Radford’s throw to first putting runners on with two outs.  A Simpson walk loaded the bases for Diaz and he drilled a line drive to left field which was misplayed by McKoy and rolled all the way to the way, which allowed all three runners to score and Diaz ended up at third putting NCCU up 8-2.
 
A&T added two runs in the fifth and a run in the sixth to climb within three, but hit into a game ending 6-4-3 double play as the Eagles earned the twinbill split winning 8-5.
 
Junior Glenn Frye (Lillington, N.C.) threw his fourth complete game allowing 11 hits and only one earned run with three walks and a strikeout, while Tyler Boone (3-4) for A&T took the loss going four-and-a-third surrendering six hits, five earned runs and five walks with only one strikeout.
 
Offensively for the Eagles, Drayton scored three runs and stole his second base of the season with a 1-for-3 effort at the plate, while Diaz was the lone Eagle to record more than one hit in game two going 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI.  Simpson finished 1-for-2 with a home run, two RBI, two runs scored, and a walk.  Williamson was 1-for-3 with two RBI.
 
NCCU (11-26, 7-7) saw great offensive production on the day from Diaz who went 4-for-6 (.667) with a double, two RBI, three runs scored, and two walks.  Marrow went 3-for-7 (.429) with a double, four RBI, three runs scored.  Drayton led the team in runs scored with four while also going 3-for-7 on the day.
 
With the split, NC A&T (13-22, 7-7 MEAC) will throw lefty Brent Moore (3-3, 4.50 ERA) while head coach Jim Koerner has not announced a starter for Sunday’s rubber match.
 
The NCCU Sports Network will be on the air at 12:45 p.m. for the Sunday, April 15 series finale.  As Eagle Gameday built by Dayeco Construction Co. with play-by-play voice Chris Hooks will countdown to the third and final contest of the weekend. Fans can stay updated to the action on twitter by following @NCCUAthletics and by using the hashtag #NCCUbaseball.
 
Stay up-to-date with North Carolina Central University Athletics by flying over to www.NCCUEaglePride.com, the official website of NCCU Athletics.