GREENSBORO (March 25, 2017) – Bethune-Cookman got off to good starts in both games of a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference doubleheader against the North Carolina &T baseball team on Saturday at War Memorial Stadium. The Wildcats sustained both of those early leads against the Aggies as they won both games with 10-4, 10-5 wins.
The two losses dropped the Aggies to 10-11 overall and 1-4 in the MEAC. The Wildcats are 16-7 overall and 6-2 in the conference. The Wildcats scored nine runs over the first three innings of Game 1 and eight runs over the first three innings of Game 2 to aid them in both wins.
Junior Greg White had a great day for the Aggies. He was a combined 5-for-7 with three runs scored and an RBI on Saturday. White started his offensive excellence early in Game 1 and it was needed. The Wildcats posted three runs in the first inning thanks to a two-run RBI double from Jameel Edney.
White singled to left center field to open the Aggies first inning. After stealing second and watching as junior Myles Sowell was hit by a pitch, White was brought home by MEAC-RBI leader Adan Ordonez as he singled to right field to cut the Wildcats' lead to 3-1.
B-CU kept putting together big innings, unfortunately. The Wildcats constructed a two-out rally in the second after Aggies starter Marcello Betances (RHP) retired the first two batters. After back-to-back singles from the Wildcats, Edney hit a three-run homer to give the Wildcats a 6-1 lead. A two-run RBI single from Josten Heron was essential in the Wildcats scoring three more runs in the third inning for a 9-1 advantage.
It was a tough way back for the Aggies from there. They did get a solid performance out of the bullpen from right-hander Leon Davidson. He went four innings, gave up two hits and one run while striking out two. Junior left-hander Jonah Owenby pitched a scoreless seventh inning, while sophomore Leon Hunt pitched two scoreless and hitless innings and struck out two.
Anthony Maldonado (4-1) got the win for the Wildcats in Game 1 while Betances (2-3) took the loss.
Game 2 again started with the Wildcats scoring in the first inning. Jordan Stacy hit a two-run RBI single through the left side to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead. Once again the Aggies had a relatively quick answer. In the second inning, senior first baseman Kyle Clary hit a two-run shot over the left-field fence to tie the game at 2. It was his fourth career home run.
But the third inning would ultimately do the Aggies in. Edney opened the inning by doubling which was followed by a two-run home run from Danny Rodriguez. Back-to-back doubles from Kyle Corbin and Trent Nash led to another run. After a fielding error put an additional runner on, Demetrius Sims hit a two-run RBI triple to give the Wildcats a 7-2 lead. Adonis Lao closed out the inning with an RBI single to complete the six-run third for an 8-2 Wildcats lead.
Josh Bottenfield (3-3) took the loss while Tyler Norris (3-0) got the win. White went 3-for-3 in Game 2 for N.C. A&T.
The Aggies will try to take at least one game from the conference series on Sunday when they face the Wildcats in the Game 3, Sunday at 1 p.m., at War Memorial Stadium.
