DURHAM (April 16, 2016) – North Carolina A&T has come up with some big midweek wins this season over the likes of Charlotte, Elon and UNC Greensboro. But now the Aggies unfortunately find themselves in need of stringing together some big Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference baseball victories as May approaches.
On Saturday at Durham Athletic Park, rival North Carolina Central swept a doubleheader from the Aggies, 8-0 and 4-3. N.C. A&T (9-29) has now lost their last seven conference matchups as they dropped to 3-11 in the league.
Sophomore Forest Kimbrell had the only multiple-hit game for the Aggies in the first game as he went 2-for-3. NCCU right-hand starter Alex Dandridge and RHP Devin Sweet combined to strike out 12 Aggies. Dandridge walked one over six innings to improve to 6-1 while Sweet picked up his second save of the season by pitching the last three innings. Tevelle Clark (2-2) took the loss on the mound for the Aggies.
Game 2 saw a strong outing from Aggies junior right-hander Robert Peck (1-4) and RHP Leon Hunter, Jr., in relief. But the Aggies walked five and hit two batters while NCCU starter Andrew Vernon (RHP) pitched a complete-game seven innings, walking just one and striking out eight. Aggies sophomore Milton Rivera had a hit in the first game, but did not hit safely in Game 2. His hitting streak comes to an end at 21. He was walked in the second game, therefore, his streak of reaching base safely stands at 27 straight games.
Dawnoven Smith had an outstanding Game 2 by going 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI while junior Timothy Ravare had two hits and scored a run. Junior Kyle Clary had two hits and drove in a run. The Aggies offense was able to take the lead in the fifth as sophomore Adan Ordonez singled up the middle to score Ravare who singled and moved to second on a walk to Rivera. Senior Ryan Jantsch moved both runners into scoring position by grounding out which led to Smith's RBI infield single to score Rivera to give the Aggies a 3-2 advantage.
The Eagles (19-19, 7-7 MEAC) regained the lead for good, however, in their half of the fifth as a hit batsman led to an RBI double by Ellington Hopkins. One batter later James Dey followed with a game-winning RBI double to give the Eagles a 4-3 lead. Dey's double represented the final hit of the day as Vernon (2-3) held the Aggies hitless over the final two innings of the game.
Hunter pitched the Aggies out of their jam in the fifth by retiring the final two batters and then had a perfect sixth.
N.C. A&T will try to get back on track in the conference when they face the Eagles in the series finale at the DAP Sunday afternoon at 1.
