BALTIMORE, Md. – The North Carolina A&T Aggies took one of two games from the Coppin State Eagles in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) baseball action, winning Game 1, 9-3, before dropping Game 2, 6-5, at Joe Cannon Stadium on Saturday afternoon. 

Winners of two-straight conference weekend series, the Aggies now sit at 15-27 overall and 10-10 in league play. 

The two teams played two seven-inning games. Having already taken the first game, the Aggies were looking for the series sweep. A&T clung to a 5-4 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh in the series finale. Coppin's Matt Day led off with a double to left field and advanced to third courtesy of a throwing error on A&T junior Justin Rodriguez. 

CSU's Grant Williams followed with another double to score Day and tie the game at 5. Wellington Balsley then earned a two-out infield single as he beat the throw from Aggie shortstop Dustin Baber. The throw resulted in a throwing error that allowed Williams to score the game-winning run.  

Senior right-hander Evan Gates (L, 3-3) suffered the loss after going 3.1 innings and allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits, with seven strikeouts.                       
Gates entered Game 2 in the bottom of the fourth in a bases-loaded situation with no one out, and the game tied at 2. He struck out the first two batters he faced, but a wild pitch enabled Coppin to take a 3-2 lead before the inning ended. 

A&T responded quickly in the next frame when sophomore Cameran Brantley scorched a two-run homer over the right-field fence to give the Aggies the lead back, 4-3, in the fifth. The Aggies recorded three hits in the inning but only mustered four in the game. 

Both teams were scoreless through the first three innings of the first game before junior Zach McLean sent his third home run of the year out of the park with senior Dustin Baber already on base to make it 2-0. Freshman TJ Ash followed with a double, advanced to third, and was able to score on a wild pitch to give A&T a three-run advantage. 

The Aggies blew the game open with a four-run, two-hit inning that featured three errors from the Eagles. Rodriguez and McLean each had RBI singles in the frame. 

The Aggies have the Eagles of N.C. Central up next on the schedule in a series that could determine which team will make the MEAC tournament. The first game is slated for next Friday, April 30, at 4 p.m. at War Memorial Stadium.