SAVANNAH, Ga. (April 2, 2016) – North Carolina A&T took advantage of a two-out error in the top of the ninth by Savannah State in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader at Tiger Field to earn a 7-5 win. The second game went 11 innings before the Tigers earned the split thanks to a balk that gave them a 4-3 win.
N.C. A&T ended the day at 7-22 overall and 3-5 in the MEAC. The Aggies had two solid offensive games. Sophomore Adan Ordonez was 3-for-5 in the first game while junior Timothy Ravare posted a 2-for-4 day with one RBI and one run scored.
Sophomore Milton Rivera went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI. He also had a hit in Game 2 to extend his hitting streak to 13. Game 2 also saw Ravare and Ordonez go 2-for-4 while Dawnoven Smith was 3-for-4 with an RBI.
The Aggies led 5-1 in the first game before the Tigers (8-20, 3-5 MEAC) made a fierce rally. With one out in the inning, Johnathan Moore hit a sacrifice fly to center field. Jalen Atterbury scored while Elder Mendez moved to third on the fly ball and came home on a wild pitch by left-hand pitcher Matt Stanley.
After Stanley walked Charles Sikes the Aggies turned to LHP Danny Garrett. Somoto Egbuna welcomed him with a two-run RBI double to tie the game at 5.
Two-out rallies were not exclusive to Savannah State, however. With a runner at first, Rivera stepped to the plate and was able to reach on an error by SSU third baseman Jacob Lightle. If Lightle makes the play the game goes to bottom half of the ninth tied at 5. Instead sophomore Myles Sowell advanced to second to set up Ordonez's RBI single to center to give the Aggies a 6-5 advantage.
Right-hand pitcher Rexford Davis replaced RHP Brandon Whitmore. Davis walked the first batter he faced in Ryan Jantsch to load the bases. Davis then walked Ravare to force in a run for the Aggies 7-5 lead.
Garrett returned to the mound to preserve the win. He walked Lightle with one out but Atterbury hit into a game-ending double play to improve Garrett to 1-2 on the season. Whitmore (0-2) took the loss.
In the second game scheduled for seven innings, SSU took advantage of some free passes as they were walked 11 times and hit by pitches an additional four times. A hit by pitch with two outs led to the Tigers first run in the first inning. Three free passes led to SSU's 2-0 lead. Aggies starter Robert Peck (RHP) hit two batters with two outs before walking Charles Sikes and Brian Miller to force in a run.
A sixth inning rally helped the Aggies overcome those shortcomings. After Rivera reached on an error and Ordonez put runners on first and second when he reached on an error, Jantsch advanced the runners into scoring position with a sac bunt. Ravare then put down a bunt with Rivera charging home on the squeeze as he scored to break up RHP Ryan McCraine's shutout. Pinch-hitter Jarrett Norman tied the game at 2 with an infield single that scored Ordonez.
Both teams stayed scoreless until the 11th when Ravare singled to center, moved to second on a sac bunt by Jason King before moving to third on a Kyle Clary groundout. Ravare scored on Smith's perfectly executed bunt single with two outs.
Will Greene (RHP) tried to hold off the Tigers in the home half of the 11th. But Khayld Cox walked before Elder doubled down the left field line to score Cox to tie the game. A sac bunt moved Elder to third before a balk ended the game. It was a tough break for Greene who pitched 5.2 innings of relief, gave up two runs and struck out seven but still dropped to 1-5. Gregory Smith II (RHP) got the win in two innings of relief.
The series concludes Sunday afternoon at 1 at Tiger Field.
