GREENSBORO – If it is true that non-conference games get you sharp for conference play, then the North Carolina A&T baseball team may be the case study. After being a weak area at the outset of the season, the Aggies bullpen continued to improve on Friday as the Aggies hosted Iona College.
That coupled with the Aggie bats being lethal led N.C. A&T to a 12-5 win over the Gaels at War Memorial Stadium. The N.C. A&T bullpen has not given up a run in the last 8.1 innings they've pitched. On Friday the bullpen totals were three inning, eight strikeouts, no runs and zero walks.
“That is the best our bullpen has looked all season,” said N.C. A&T head coach Ben Hall who threw left-handers Matt Stanley and Danny Garrett and right Kaeson Wilson from the Aggies pen on Friday. “As their confidence grows they're going to be able to hold down some leads for us.”
It was a big day at the plate for several Aggies as well. Sophomore Milton Rivera went 3-for-4 with four runs scored, senior Ryan Janstch was 2-for-3 with a grand slam and junior Kyle Clary was 2-for-5 with three RBI. Sophomore Myles Sowell hit his first career home run, a solo shot in the first inning, and freshman Forest Kimbrell recorded the first two hits of his career and was 2-for-5 with an RBI.
“Offense is something that has to evolve. It is one thing one day and one thing another,” said Hall. You've just got to keep working, and you've got to make adjustments.”
Aggies right-hand sophomore Tevelle Clark (2-0) got the start on Friday and the win despite struggling early with his control. N.C. A&T trailed 5-1 after three innings and Clark had already walked four. Hall stayed with junior college transfer and it paid off. Clark only gave up one hit and one walk over the next three innings, preventing the Gaels from extending their lead and allowing the Aggies bullpen to have a shorter outing.
Tevelle is a big competitor,” said Hall. “A lot of times competiveness is going to take you a lot further than your stuff. There are times when he loses the strike zone, but he always finds it. His competitiveness gets him in the zone, keeps us in the ballgame and keeps them scoreless a couple of innings to allow our offense a chance to rally.”
Clary started the rally in the fifth with his three-run RBI double. Kimbrell followed with a triple to left-center field to give the Aggies a 6-5 lead. The Aggies added two more runs in the sixth on a Timothy Ravare two-run RBI single through the left side for an 8-5 advantage.
Stanley then entered the game in the seventh and struck out the side to maintain the lead. Janstch added more of a cushion with a grand slam in the Aggies half of the seventh before Wilson struck out the side in the eighth and Garrett closed out the game in the ninth. Iona starter Bill Maier (RHP) took the loss. Matt Byrne led the Gaels by going 2-for-4.
The two teams meet again on Saturday at 3 p.m., at WMS and close out the series Sunday at noon.
