Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Box Score:  NCCU at Florida A&M (Game 1)      Box Score:  NCCU at Florida A&M (Game 2)

Audio:  Glenn Frye's 200th Strikeout at Florida A&M     Photo Gallery:  NCCU at Florida A&M (Facebook)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – For first time since April 10, the North Carolina Central University baseball program recorded double-figure hits in a contest scoring at least one run in nearly every inning to earn the 8-3 victory getting the split in Saturday’s doubleheader against Florida A&M after dropping game one 6-3 at Moore-Kittles Field in Tallahassee, Fla.
 
With the victory in the second contest, it not only sets up a crucial rubber match for Sunday afternoon at 12:00 p.m., but the Eagles clinched a berth into the 2013 MEAC Baseball Championships held May 14-19 at Marty Miller Field in Norfolk, Va.
 
Game two began with senior Akeem Hood (Raleigh, N.C.) drilling a double down the left field line in the top of the first inning which allowed the Eagles to bring him around on an RBI groundout to second base by senior Luis Diaz (Geneva, N.Y.) to give the maroon and gray their first lead of the day at 1-0. 
 
After a scoreless first frame, NCCU plated another run after redshirt sophomore Eric Kimber (Greensboro, N.C.) doubled to left field followed up by the first of three Tyson Simpson (Burgaw, N.C.) hits on the afternoon to record RBI No. 11 on the year putting the Eagles up 2-0.
 
The Eagles made it 4-0 in the top of the third inning by adding two more to the scoreboard which all began when junior Zack Lee (Wilson, N.C.) reached on a FAMU fielding error.  After a Lee stolen base, Diaz drilled a single through the right side to score Lee from second to put NCCU up 3-0.  After Marrow was plunked for the 24th time on the year, the maroon and gray made 4-0 when Diaz scored on a wild pitch.
 
In the bottom of the third, senior righty Glenn Frye struck out leadoff batter Marlon Gibbs to become the first Eagle to record 200 career strikeouts to put the second out on the board in the frame.  The only problem is Florida A&M’s Reginald Grant singled to drive-in the first Rattler run of game two, followed up by Bennie Robinson’s sixth double of the year to cut the deficit to one at 4-3.
 
Moving to the top of the fourth, Simpson reached base with a single to left center field, which led to FAMU starter Heath Blackburn to get pulled.  After a Cory Williamson (Greensboro, N.C.) sacrifice bunt and a Robert Hiatt (Wilmington, N.C.) flyout, Hood crushed his second double of the day to drive in Simpson and stretch the margin back to two at 5-3.
 
That’s when Frye and the NCCU defense put the game in cruise control, turning double play No. 34 on the year in the bottom of the fourth, and retired the eight of the next nine batters.
 
NCCU added two runs in the fifth and a run in the sixth to earn the twinbill split winning game two by the score of 8-3.
 
Frye (5-3) looked stellar in earning the win throwing his fourth complete game of the year, scattering seven hits and recording five strikeouts to give him 202 in his career.
 
The first game of the day saw a solid pitching performance from Florida A&M starter David Duncan, while the Eagle defense committed four errors in the 6-3 loss.
 
With the game tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth, two costly miscues, one by Spencer Franceschetti (Escalon, Calif.) and the other by Hood, allowed the Rattlers to take hold to a 3-1.
 
NCCU was able to plate a run in the top of the sixth to cut the margin to 3-2, but FAMU’s Sylvester Peck crushed his first home run of the year to left field to begin the bottom-half of that frame to make it 4-2.
 
In the top of the eighth, Lee’s single was followed up by Diaz’s double to right center field cut the deficit back to one, keeping the hopes alive for a game one win.
 
Florida A&M put the final runs on the board in the bottom of the eighth inning when Kelvin Singletary creamed his first triple of the year to start the frame, later scoring on Peck’s RBI single to put the Rattlers up 5-3.  FAMU added one more run to put the game at 6-3.
 
Duncan (2-7) earned the win going 8.0 innings strong with seven strikeouts, while senior Michael Romano (Spotsylvania, Va.) put together yet another gutsy outing allowing only two earned runs with four strikeouts despite the four errors by the defense behind him.
 
Leading the offense on the day, Simpson finished game two 3-for-5 at-the-plate with two runs scored and two RBI, while Diaz was 3-for-7 with two runs scored, a double, and three RBI.  Hood ended the day with two doubles, while five batters were plunked by Rattler pitchers on the afternoon.
 
NCCU (24-23, 11-12 MEAC) will look to win the series in Sunday’s “Senior Day” rubber match against Florida A&M (5-39, 4-16 MEAC) which is set for first pitch at 12:00 p.m. from Moore Kittles Field.
 
Coverage for the series finale will be provided by the NCCU Sports Network as play-by-play voice Chris Hooks will call the action from Moore-Kittles Field beginning with the Champps Pregame Show at 11:45 p.m. on Sunday, April 28.  Fans are encouraged to interact with Hooks by following @NCCUAthletics on twitter, using the hashtag #NCCUBaseball, and by sending an e-mail to whooks@nccu.edu.
 
For more information about NCCU athletics, visit www.NCCUEaglePride.com or download the NCCU Sports Network app available in the App Store, Google Play and Amazon.