Beatty records three RBIs

Box Score
ROCK HILL, S.C., April 14, 2009 – Xavier Macklin continued his superb hitting, but Winthrop pulled away with a big inning to defeat the North Carolina A&T baseball team 17-7 Tuesday night at Winthrop Ballpark.

Macklin, the reigning MEAC Player of the Week, had a 3-for-5 day that included two RBIs, a home run and three runs scored. C.J. Beatty added two hits and drove in three runs, while Marquis Riley and Cyril Daniel had two hits apiece. Daniel also had two RBIs.

N.C. A&T fell behind 3-1 early before its offense started producing. Macklin led off the Aggies third with a his sixth home run of the season. This one was a shot over the center field wall. The Aggies would take the lead in the fourth. Riley started the rally with a double to left field. After the Eagles switched pitchers, Daniel showed he wasn’t bothered at all.

Daniel lifted Reid’s pitch over the left field wall to give the Aggies a 4-3 lead. It was Daniel’s third home run of the season.

The Eagles quick answered the Aggies with a seven-run fourth inning that included a solo home run and a two-run double. Winthrop added two more runs in the fifth to take a 12-4 lead. The Aggies offense, which has produced 58 hits in the last four games, kept putting up runs. After the first two Aggies in the sixth struck out, George Hines doubled to right field.

Macklin doubled him home with his team-leading 30^th RBI of the season. Beatty, who lost his tie for the team-lead in home runs after Macklin hit his homer in the third, quickly got it back with his sixth home run of the season. Beatty’s shot went out to center field to cut the Eagles lead to 12-7.

But the Eagles were able to add their lead over the final two innings of the game to secure the win. The Aggies dropped to 8-25 on the season and will play at USC Upstate Wednesday night at 6.