SAVANNAH, Ga. – North Carolina A&T got two big wins on Friday as they swept Savannah State in a doubleheader, 7-5 and 2-0, at Tiger Field. The Game 2 win was the Aggies first shutout of the season. It was the Aggies first shutout since blanking Marist 3-0 on April 12, 2014.
The wins move the Aggies (8-32, 5-14 MEAC) to within 3 ½ games for the fourth and final tournament seed in the MEAC southern division. Savannah State (16-27, 9-11 MEAC) is in the fourth spot. The top four teams in the MEAC southern division will compete in the MEAC tournament May 13-17.
Freshman Adan Ordonez led the Aggies in Game 1 by going 3-for-5 with a run scored. Sophomore Kyle Clary drove in three runs and freshman Myles Sowell was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Freshman A.J. Hunt and sophomore Timothy Ravare also had multiple-hit games with two hits apiece.
A&T was able to break open a 3-3 game in the fifth. The Aggies loaded the bases thanks to singles from Ordonez, Hunt and Ravare. Clary brought the first run home with an RBI sacrifice fly to center field to score Ordonez. Senior Brandon Mitchell loaded the bases again with a single, setting up Sowell for a two-run RBI single to center that gave the Aggies a 6-3 advantage.
The Tigers were able to get one of those runs back in their half of the fifth. But the Aggies took a three-run lead again thanks in part to a wild pitch on a swinging third strike to Micah Carmony that allowed him to reach base. The throw attempt to first to get Carmony out was a bad one, allowing him to advance to second. Hunt stepped up and took advantage of the miscue by singling to center to give the Aggies a 7-4 advantage.
Right-hander Brian Poag pitched into the eighth inning for the Aggies. SSU loaded the bases against him in the eighth before he walked Zachary Brigham to force in a run and move SSU to within two runs at 7-5. Danny Garrett (LHP) replaced him and retired the first two batters he faced to get the Aggies out of the jam. Garrett went on to pitch a perfect ninth to earn his second save of the season. Poag (3-4) won his second straight start, while Austin Robinson (5-2) took the loss.
The second game didn't feature much offense over the seven-inning game. Jerry Liang (RHP) and Jason Gifford (RHP) combined for a three-hit shutout of the Tigers. In the process, Liang (1-4) earned his first career win and Gifford picked up his second save of the season. Micah Carmony had two of the Aggies four hits in Game 2.
Carmony gave the Aggies a two-run lead in the fourth when he opened the inning with a single and eventually scored on a throwing error. The Tigers threatened the Aggies lead in the fifth as Liang gave up a single and two walks to load the bases with two out. But Gifford stepped in and struck out Mendez Elder to end the threat.
Gifford would go on to throw a perfect seventh to earn the save. The Aggies and the Tigers did not play on Saturday due to inclement weather. The series concludes on Sunday.
