GREENSBORO - If the North Carolina A&T baseball team has proven one thing to its conference opponents, it is the fact they can hit the ball. A&T's bats continued to punish MEAC foes on Saturday with 17-2 and 11-5 wins over Delaware State in baseball doubleheader action at War Memorial Stadium.
George Hines, Nick Rogers, Marquis Riley and Alex Grubb homered in the first game. Xavier Macklin hit a homer in Game 2. Senior lead-off hitter George Hines went 3-for-5 with five RBIs and two runs scored in the first game. Freshman Alex Grubb added a 2-for-4 performance with two runs scored and four RBIs.
Sophomore Esterlin Paulino (6-2) earned the win by pitching six innings and striking out three. Paulino has not surrendered more than two earned runs in his last four starts.
In the second game, Macklin and freshman Kelvin Freeman had three RBIs apiece. Senior Nick Rogers pulled his normal effective double duty. He went 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored. On the mound, he improved to 8-3 by striking out nine over seven innings.
Unlike the first game, however, the Hornets held a lead. Abe Eubanks homered to left field to give the Hornets a 3-2 lead. A&T quickly responded.
Delaware State starter Mike Rizzuto gave up a single to Macklin and hit Riley with a pitch to open the third. Both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. It set up a two-run RBI double by Freeman to help the Aggies regain the lead at 4-3. With two outs, the Aggies made a big push in the fourth.
Riley's single to center field scored Dario Little and Rogers for a 6-3 lead. Grubb drove I another Aggies run with a double down the right field line. Freeman then came through with another RBI, this time a single that scored Grubb for a comfortable 8-3 lead.
A&T had a combined 32 hits on Saturday to improve to 21-23 overall and 11-3 in the MEAC. The Aggies are averaging 9.5 runs per game in conference play, while hitting .353 with 20 home runs and 46 extra base hits.
The Aggies will hold their Senior Day on Sunday before the 1 p.m., start. Hines, Chris Watson, Rogers, John Smith, James Howard and Lester Rivenbark will be honored.
