GREENSBORO - North Carolina A&T got career performances from pitchers Esterlin Paulino and Nick Oelker to earn shutout wins over New Jersey Institute of Technology in doubleheader action from War Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
Paulino struck out nine over nine innings, and he surrendered just three hits in a 4-0 Aggies win in the first game. In the second contest, Oelker pitched a complete-game two-hitter while striking out nine to lead N.C. A&T to a 12-0 win.
Marquis Riley went 3-for-5 with two RBIs to lead the Aggies offensively in Game 1. An error in left field led to the Aggies first run. After Luke Tendler singled, Xavier Macklin reached on the two-base error. Riley's groundout gave the Aggies a 1-0 lead. Riley's second RBI of the day came on an 0-2 pitch that he drove into center field for a base hit. The hit scored Macklin who walked and stole a base.
Riley's run-producing hits were more than enough for Paulino. He only allowed one runner to reach second throughout the game, and he set NJIT batters down in order five times. Paulino improved to 2-0 on the season.
Oelker was just as dominant in Game 2. At one point during the game, Oelker retired 13 straight batters. It wasn't until the seventh inning of the seven-inning game that Oelker's streak was broken. He had plenty of offense to support him.
Tendler and Mark Nales had three hits apiece with Nales adding four RBIs. Riley, Carvell Copeland and Dario Little had two hits apiece. Copeland opened the Aggies first with a single to left field. Tendler followed by tripling to right center field for a 1-0 Aggies lead. Macklin didn't make life any easier for NJIT pitching as he clobbered his fourth home run of the season over the right field wall for a 3-0 N.C.A&T advantage. The five-run rally ended on a Nales double that scored Little.
The Aggies scored five more runs in the second with Riley delivering the biggest blow, a two-run RBI single to left that scored Tendler and Copeland. The two wins improved the Aggies to 3-4. Oelker is 1-1 on the season. The Aggies return to action Sunday at 1 p.m., against NJIT.
