NCCU Sports Network Broadcast Link (8:45 a.m. airtime)NORFOLK, Va. – By virtue of the 6-1 loss on Wednesday morning, North Carolina Central University will face the Hawks of Maryland Eastern Shore, the No. 4 seed from the North Division, in the loser's bracket of the 2014 MEAC Baseball Tournament on Thursday, May 15 at 9:00 a.m. from Marty Miller Field in Norfolk, Va.
UMES fell to Bethune-Cookman 4-0 on Wednesday afternoon after mustering up just four hits against MEAC Pitcher of the Year, Montana Durapau. Freshman hurler Jessee Stinnett held his own against the Wildcats going 7.2 innings before running out of gas in the eighth.
Junior Grant Cain (Fayetteville, N.C.) will get his second start of the season on Thursday morning. Cain (1-0, 4.76 ERA) earned his first win as an Eagle in his last start as he went 8.0 innings against Presbyterian surrendering five hits and one earned run with a season high six strikeouts.
The Hawks will send out sophomore righty J.P. Black (1-4, 4.50 ERA) for his seventh start of the year. Black missed time earlier in the year due to injury but has come on strong in his 28.0 innings of work this season.
Both teams recorded four hits in their respective games, as NCCU left eight men on base in the loss, including numerous in scoring position in the opening round defeat.
This will be meeting No. 11 between these two programs with the Hawks leading the series 7-3 dating back to 2009. The last meeting took place in this exact elimination game in the 2013 MEAC Tournament on May 16 as the Eagles bounced the Hawks 10-4. In NCCU's first conference tournament at the NCAA Division I level, UMES beat the maroon and gray 13-5 back in 2012.
The NCCU Sports Network will hit the air at 8:45 a.m. on Thursday morning with the Denny's of Durham Pregame Show as play-by-play voice Chris Hooks will call the action from Marty Miller Field in Norfolk, Va.
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