Frink strikeouts a career-high 14 batters     

Box Score vs. Bethune-Cookman

Box Score vs. NSU

NORFOLK, Va., May 17, 2008 – It unfortunately turned out to be the perfect storm for North Carolina A&T.

After battling, scuffling and clawing against No. 1 seed Bethune-Cookman before losing 3-2 in the MEAC Baseball Tournament at Norfolk State’s Marty L. Miller Field, the Aggies then had to play an elimination game against an inspired Norfolk State team that was tired of being eliminated by the Aggies. 

It resulted in the Aggies season coming to an end with a 10-5 loss to Norfolk State as the Spartans will advance to the championship round against three-time defending champion Bethune-Cookman Sunday afternoon at 2.

N.C. A&T was trying to advance to the championship round through the winner’s bracket as it entered Saturday’s competition 2-0.  With an effective slider and breaking ball, senior Marquis Frink almost got the Aggies there. Frink struck out a career-high 14 batters over eight innings and gave up just three hits although he did hit five Wildcats with pitches.

But Frink kept the Aggies close against a team that has won eight out the last nine MEAC tournaments. The Aggies had the go-ahead run at the plate in the top of the ninth inning. The Aggies trailed 3-1 going into the ninth. Jeremy Jones opened the inning by singling through the right side. Bethune-Cookman starter Joseph Gautier put runners on first and second by hitting C.J. Beatty with a 1-2 pitch.

After Gautier struck out Joe McIntyre, the Wildcats turned to their closer Phil Enright. Nick Rogers, the Aggies hero from the first two games of the tournament, greeted Enright with a single to right center to score Jones from second to pull the Aggies to within one run. But Enright got Nelson Santos to fly out to right and pinch-hitter Joe Wade into a force play to move the Aggies into the loser’s bracket.

After beating Florida A&M Saturday morning, the Spartans awaited the Aggies with a determination to end a pesky trend they didn’t like. The Spartans win over the Aggies marked the first time in five years the Aggies did not eliminate the Spartans from the tournament.

After losing to the Aggies to open the tournament on Thursday, the Spartans (25-23) are playing for a conference title thanks to winning four straight games over the last two days. The Spartans must beat the Wildcats twice to win the MEAC title because they advanced to the championship round through the loser’s bracket.

Brad Stephenson and Chris Joyce led the Spartans on Saturday night by recording two hits and three runs apiece. TiQuan Griffin added two hits and two RBIs. Norfolk State got off to an early start against the Aggies by scoring eight runs over the first four innings of the game. Anselmo Cantu gave the Spartans a 3-0 lead in the first with a two-run RBI double to right field. Griffin followed with a RBI single to center field for an early 4-0 advantage.

The Aggies responded by scoring a run in the first and  two runs in the second thanks to a two-run RBI single off the bat of Lester Rivenbark to pull to within one. But the Spartans pulled away for good in the third and the fourth. Stephenson scored on a balk by Aggies starter Donald Howerton in the third and Griffin followed with a RBI triple to give the Spartans a 6-3 lead.

The Aggies ran into more trouble in the fourth as reliever Ryan Sellers walked in a run. After Sellers was replaced on the mound by Jody Calloway gave up a RBI sacrifice fly to give the Spartans a comfortable 8-3 lead. Norfolk State starter Frankie Caldeyro (2-4) held on to get the win after pitching 7 1/3 innings, giving up just one earned run and striking out three. Howerton (2-6) took the loss. Offensively, the Aggies were led Lester Rivenbark’s two RBIs. Jones, James Howard and George Hines add two hits apiece.

The Aggies season comes to an end at 29-30. The 29 wins are a new school record, marking the fourth time in five seasons the Aggies have broken the program’s wins record.