Baseball | 5/13/2021 9:26:00 PM
Box Score EAST GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T kept its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament hopes alive with a dramatic 6-5 come-from-behind win over the Coppin State Eagles in baseball action inside War Memorial Stadium.
A&T improved to 19-32 overall and 14-15 in league action.
Junior Justin Rodriguez claimed hero honors for the Aggies in the home ninth. He stepped into the batter's box with the bases loaded and sliced a single through the right side to score sophomore Alex Reyna from third.
Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
A&T trailed 5-3 in the home eighth when their bats came alive. Rodriguez drew a one-out walk before junior Justin Williams singled through the left side to put runners on first and second. Senior Dustin Baber stepped up and smacked a high chopper toward the gap between third and shortstop that got through into the outfield to score Rodriguez and make it a 5-4 game.
With two outs, junior Zach McLean stepped into the box 0-for-3 on the day. Yet, he sent the first pitch he saw into the left field for a single to bring Williams home and tie the game at 5.
A&T's ninth inning started with Rashad Ruff hitting Reyna with a pitch to put Reyna on first. Senior Tony Mack walked to put runners at first and second. Giovanni Canales (L, 0-6) replaced Ruff on the mound. The first batter he faced, Cameran Brantley, reached on a bunt single to load the bases to allow Rodriguez to perform his heroics.
Williams had a team-high three runs scored on Thursday to go along with a hit and two walks drawn. Senior closer Evan Gates (4-4) earned the win after striking out all three batters he faced in the ninth, the only inning he pitched.
The Aggies recorded nine hits as Williamson went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Baber and McLean each had two RBI.
The Eagles (10-26, 7-17 MEAC) took a 3-0 lead in the ballgame thanks to RBI from Conner Walker, Eddie Javier and Mike Dorcean. The Aggies got one of those runs back in the second as Williams walked and moved to second on a wild pitch. Williamson then hit a one-out single to center field to move Williams to third. Williams scored when McLean grounded out to second to make it a 3-1 game.
Coppin added two runs in the third, thanks to RBI singles from Dorcean and Devyan Dyal. The Aggies made it 5-3 in the fourth as Baber singled to score Rodriguez. Williamson also singled to drive in Williams to make it 5-3, setting up the Aggies comeback.
A&T will take on the Eagles in a 1 p.m. doubleheader, Friday, May 14, at War Memorial Stadium.
