MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (February 17, 2017) – Junior college transfer Marcello Betances looked excellent in his debut on the mound as a North Carolina A&T Aggie baseball player but his efforts were not enough as James Madison defeated the Aggies 5-1 during the first day of the Caravelle Resort's Baseball at the Beach Tournament hosted by defending national champion Coastal Carolina. The game marked the Aggies' season opener.
Betances did not give up an earned run over six innings pitched but was still assigned the loss. He struck out seven and walked five during his outing. Another junior college transfer, Greg White, led the Aggies offensively by going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Betances was able to strike out five over the first four innings he pitched. Self-inflicted wounds hurt the Aggies in the fifth, however. Betances opened the home fifth by walking Ryan Lynch. The free pass was followed up with a single by Josh Wyatt. The Dukes got on the board when Betances field a bunt from Ryan Coale. Betanes' errant throw to first allowed Lynch to score. With runners now on second and third, Betances unleashed a wild pitch that allowed Wyatt to give the Dukes a 2-0 lead.
N.C. A&T was able to cut into that lead in the seventh when junior Myles Sowell's RBI single scored White from second after White was hit by a pitch and stole second. Sowell used his speed to advance to second as the Dukes were trying to throw out White at home. But Kevin Kelly replaced Matt Colon on the mound after the single. Colon got Milton Rivera to ground out, which advanced Sowell to third. He was stranded there when Colon struck out Brandon Melendez.
JMU pulled away in the eighth thanks to a two-run RBI from Brett Johnson and an RBI single from Adam Sisk to give the Dukes a four-run lead going into the visitor's ninth. Michael Evans came on in relief in the ninth and gave up a single to White. Evans settled in after the single to strike out the next two Aggies before the game ended on a groundout by Rivera.
Dukes starter Brandon Withers picked up the win after striking out six, walking two and giving up three hits over five innings pitched. N.C. A&T continues play in the tournament Saturday when they face the Richmond Spiders at 11 a.m.
