Aggies register seven extra base hits

Box Score
NORFOLK, Va., May 17, 2007 – North Carolina A&T junior pitcher Chris Eggers had a career performance during a crucial point of the season as he led the Aggies to a 12-1 win over Delaware State in the 2007 MEAC Baseball Tournament held at Marty L. Miller Field on the campus of Norfolk State University.

Eggers (6-8) pitched a complete game as he struck out a school-record 15 batters, gave up one run and walked just one in the victory.

Joe McIntyre led the Aggies offensively with a 4-for-4 night that included four RBIs, a home run and four runs scored. He now has a league-leading 62 RBIs on the season. Nelson Santos added three hits, including a homer, three RBIs and two runs scored.

Joe Wade had two RBIs. The Aggies will advance to play tournament host Norfolk State at 2 p.m., Friday. Eric Allen led the Hornets with three hits, while Jim Johnson had a 2-for-4 night.

But for most of the night, Eggers kept the Hornets offense in check. He struck out the side in the sixth and seventh. He threw 122 pitches on night, and pitched his way out of tough jams in the second, third and sixth innings. In each of those innings, the Hornets put runners on first and second with no outs, but could not convert as Eggers continually struck out Hornets batters. His performance tied the single-game strikeout record, tying Michael Hauff’s record.

Eggers worked with a lead all night. McIntyre led off the home half of the second with his sixth home run of the season as he took Delaware State starter J.R. McAllister’s pitch over the left field wall. Senior Kory Kinnear followed with a single to left. The Hornets defense would break down from there.

Neil Rosser and C.J. Beatty both reached on errors to load the bases. The mistakes set up a two-run RBI single up the middle by Wade that scored Rosser and Beatty for a 3-0 Aggies lead. McAllister settled down from there, pitching his way out of jams in the third, fourth and fifth. The Aggies led just 4-1 going into the seventh when the Aggies broke open the game.

MEAC Player of the Year Charlie Gamble led off the inning with a triple to center field. McIntyre brought him home with a double to right field for a 5-1 lead. McIntyre’s hit forced McAllister from the game for Hornets reliever Dan Perkins. Nelson Santos greeted him with a double that scored McIntyre. After Kinnear grounded out, Neil Rosser singled up the middle to plate Santos. MEAC Rookie of the Year C.J. Beatty doubled to the left-field corner to give the Aggies a commanding 8-1 lead.

N.C. A&T scored four more runs in the eighth as it finished the game with 20 hits; seven of them were extra base hits.

 The Aggies won their eighth straight game, improving to 25-29 on the season. The Hornets fell to 21-26 and will play the winner of the elimination game between Florida A&M and Maryland-Eastern Shore Friday night at 6.