Daniel records five RBIs

Box Score 1
Box Score 2
DOVER, Del., April 25, 2009 – Senior Cyril Daniel is one of those players willing to do what is asked to help the team. During his career at N.C. A&T, he’s pitched, played in the outfield and played the first and third base positions.

On Saturday, the Charlotte native played the role of slugger. Daniel went 2-for-3 at the plate with five RBIs and two home runs to lead the North Carolina A&T baseball team to a 7-5 win over Delaware State in the second game of a Saturday doubleheader played at Solider Field. The Hornets won the first game 3-2. The Aggies improved to 12-29 on the season and 5-8 in the MEAC. The two teams will play again 1 p.m., Sunday at Soldier Field. C.J. Beatty added three hits.

In the second game, the Aggies jumped on the Hornets early. With one out, Xavier Macklin had his single through the right side followed by a Beatty single up the middle. The Aggies loaded the bases when Nick Rogers was hit by a pitch. Delaware State starter Josh Schmidt put the Aggies on the board by walking Jaron Neal to walk in the first run.

Daniel then stepped up and made life even harder for Schmidt by hitting his first career grand slam to give the Aggies a 5-0 lead in the first inning.

Daniel gave the Aggies a 6-0 lead with another home run in the third. It was his fifth home run of the season. N.C. A&T increased its lead in the fourth as Macklin hit his MEAC-leading ninth home run of the season for a 7-0 advantage.

The Hornets would battle back. DSU scored two runs apiece in the fifth and sixth to cut the Aggies lead to 7-4. In the seventh (the second game of doubleheaders in conference play are seven innings), Jose Portela singled up the middle off of Aggies reliever Garrett Braun. Wynton Weather grounded out to third to move Portela into scoring position with two outs. An infield single by Warren Stimpson put runners at third and first with the tying run at the plate.

Braun’s wild pitch scored Portela to move the Hornets to within two. But Braun got Mike Rizzuto to fly out to left field to end the game. Nick Boles earned the win to improve to 4-2 on the season.

In the first game, Esterlin Paulino was the tough-luck loser. Paulino (4-4) did not give up an earned run, surrendered just four hits and struck out six over seven innings. The Aggies trailed 3-0 early in Game 1, but went into the ninth inning down 3-1.

Daniel opened the inning with a double to left field. He moved to third on a fly ball out by Marquis Riley. The Hornets turned to reliever Brandon Penick in an attempt to halt the Aggies rally. Penick hit Lester Rivenbark with the pitch to put runners at first and third. James Howard’s RBI single through the left side scored Daniel to move the Aggies to within one. But the Aggies left both runners stranded with a strikeout and a pop up to end the game.    

Marquis Riley had three hits and a RBI in the first game, while Daniel and Howard had two hits apiece.