AGGIES SPLIT DOUBLEHEADER WITH FAMU

Rogers hits fourth homer of the season

Box Score 1
Box Score 2
TALLAHASSEE, Fla., March 29, 2009 – Another one of North Carolina A&T’s young baseball pitchers took another step toward growing into a solid hurler for the Aggies.

Freshman Esterlin Paulino pitched a complete-game two hitter and struck out seven to lead the Aggies to a 10-2 win over Florida A&M in the second game of a Sunday doubleheader played at Moore-Kittles Field. The Aggies lost the first game 8-5. Paulino improved to an impressive 3-1 on the season. C.J. Beatty led the Aggies by going 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Nick Rogers was 2-for-4 with three RBIs, including his fourth home run of the season.

N.C. A&T held a 1-0 lead going into the fifth thanks to the base running of Beatty in the fourth. Beatty walked to lead off the fourth. He moved to second on a balk before advancing to third on a throwing error. Florida A&M continued to move Beatty around the base pads as he scored on a wild pitch.

Jaron Neal led off the Aggies big fifth inning with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Eric Chiz. Another Rattler wild pitch moved Neal to third. An infield single by James Howard started the Aggies huge rally as Neal scored for a 2-0 Aggies lead. After Howard stole second and third, freshman Xavier Macklin was walked by Florida A&M starter Miguel Parga to set up Beatty’s two-run RBI double that gave N.C. A&T a 4-0 advantage.

Rogers followed with another double to score Beatty. After Parga walked Rivenbark, Marquis Riley connected on the Aggies third double of the inning to score Rogers and Rivenbark for a 7-0 lead. Neal, who opened the inning with a single, closed out the scoring with an infield singe that scored Riley. Rogers would add a two-run homer in the seventh, and Paulino would secure the win by getting Jared Jeffries to hit into a double play to end the game.

In the first game, Beatty hit his fourth home run of the season and the 27th of his career. Neal and Macklin had two hits apiece. Blaine McCraw took (1-3) the loss on the mound. The Aggies are 7-15 on the season and 3-2 in the conference.