Kinnear records three RBI in Game 2

Box Score 1     Box Score 2
GREENSBORO, May 5, 2007 – The scariest thing about playing a winless team is being its first victim. The Aggies took care of that fear early in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader against Coppin State by scoring 10 runs in the first inning on their way to a 12-1 win.

But in Game 2, the Aggies needed a big inning late in the game and a strong outing from closer Ron Phelps to finally put away the Eagles 5-3. The Aggies kept the Eagles winless (0-43, 0-17), while improving to 19-29 overall and 10-7 in the MEAC. The Aggies are in fourth place in the MEAC, one game behind Florida A&M as the MEAC Baseball Tournament approaches on May 17-19.

The Aggies conclude their MEAC season on Sunday when they host the Eagles again at War Memorial Stadium, and depending on out the Florida A&M/Norfolk State concludes will help determine the Aggies’ seed.  Sunday will also mark the Aggies Senior Day as Kory Kinnear, Jasper Smith, Joel Battle, Charlie Gamble and Jeremy Jones will be honored before the game.

On Saturday, the Aggies took care of what they could control although a run in the second and a run in the third in Game No. 2, made things difficult for the Aggies. In the seven-inning game, the Aggies got on the board in the fourth.  Kinnear earned one of his three RBI in the game with a single to right field that scored C.J. Beatty after Beatty doubled to right field.

Coppin State regained its two-run lead in the fifth, however. With one out, Sebastian Fomenko doubled down the left field line off starter Tim Johnson. Teon Richburg followed with a fly ball that stayed in the air long enough before bouncing in front of Beatty, for Fomenko to hold at third base.

Fomenko went home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Harry Williams to give the Eagles a 3-1 lead. The Eagles upset bid ran into some trouble in the Aggies half of the fifth. Lester Rivenbark led the inning off with a single to left field. Nick Mayo followed with a triple to left center to score Rivenbark to move the Aggies to within one. Nelson Santos tied the game with a single to left field that scored Mayo.

Remarkably, Williams retired the Aggies two biggest threats in Jones and Gamble, but couldn’t tame the bat of Joe McIntyre. McIntyre kept the inning going with a single to center field, followed by a Beatty walk.

Kinnear stepped up and again took advantage of runners in scoring position with a single to right field that scored Santos and McIntyre to give the Aggies a two-run lead. Kinnear was 3-for-3 in the game with three RBI.

Head coach Keith Shumate then turned to his bullpen after Johnson pitched five innings, gave up five hits, two earned runs and struck out six. Marquis Frink retired the Eagles in order in the sixth and was replaced by Phelps in the seventh after walking Marcus Robin. Phelps walked Chris Roberts, but then settled in and returned to his excellent closing form.

After Fomenko’s sacrifice bunt, Phelps struck out Richburg and Williams to end the game and earn his sixth save of the season. Johnson (4-3) was the winner while Williams (0-9) took the loss.

The Aggies didn’t have too many problems with the Eagles in the first game. In fact, the game ended in five innings because of the conference’s 10-run rule stipulating that if a team is ahead by 10 runs or more after the fifth the game can end.

Joe Wade, Mayo and Gamble each had two hits in the first inning, and Jones and Neil Rosser had two RBI apiece in the first. Battle was 3-for-3 in the first game with two RBI, while Beatty was 2-for-2 with two runs scored.

John Primus (3-4) earned the win by pitching five innings and striking out eight. Drew Boyer was the losing pitcher.