AGGIES DEFEAT BLUE DEVILS

Aggies have won seven straight games  

 Box Score
DURHAM, April 3, 2007 – North Carolina A&T received momentum heading into this week’s MEAC Baseball Tournament in Norfolk, Va. Thanks to huge afternoons from senior Kory Kinnear and junior Joe McIntyre; the Aggies defeated the ACC’s Duke Blue Devils 13-9 in 11 innings at Jack Coombs Field on Tuesday.

McIntyre, the MEAC leader in RBIs, hit his sixth home run of the season while going 5-for-6  with four runs scored and four RBIs. Kinnear added four hits, two RBIs and he scored a run. Jeremy Jones homered for the seventh time this season. The Aggies win over the Blue Devils marks the second time in three seasons the Aggies have defeated Duke.

Charlie Gamble, who was named MEAC Player of the Week for last week’s performances, was 1-for-4 with two runs scored. He is still hitting better than .400 on the season.

N.C. A&T improved to 24-29 on the season and won its seventh straight. The Aggies left Coombs Field headed to Virginia in search of their second MEAC title in three years. Tournament play begins on Thursday with the Aggies taking on Delaware State at 6 p.m.

On Tuesday, Jones opened the 11th by being walked by Blue Devils reliever Michael Seander. In an attempt to move Jones to second, Phillip Brewington laid down a bunt. But with his speed, Brewington was able to beat throw to first, putting runners on first and second.

The Blue Devils turned to Ryan Perry to face McIntyre. It didn’t matter. McIntyre, who hit two game-winning RBIs last week to help the Aggies sweep Jackson State, doubled to center field to put the Aggies up for good. Nelson Santos followed with a two-run RBI triple to right-center field for added insurance. Kinnear capped off the four-run 11th with a single to right field that scored Santos from third.

N.C. A&T reliever Ron Phelps, who has been brilliant for the Aggies in relief the last two months, worked his way around two walks in the bottom of the 11th to seal the win. Phelps pitched 2.1 innings of relief on Tuesday, giving up just one hit, surrendering no runs and walking three to improve to 5-4 on the season. On April 3, Phelps had a 7.56 ERA.

But since that point, he has 3.17 ERA; he has struck out 20 batters in 20 innings of work and recorded three saves over that span.