Aggies hit three homers in Game 2

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GREENSBORO, May 2, 2009 – The North Carolina A&T baseball team continued to do its part to make sure the MEAC standings stay jumbled.

Freshman Nick Boles pitched a complete-game three-hitter and did not allow an earned run to lead the North Carolina A&T baseball team to an 8-1 victory in the second game of a Saturday doubleheader played at War Memorial Stadium. The Aggies won the first game 16-7.

Boles’ solid outing improved him to 5-2 on the season. The Aggies improved to 16-31 on the season and 8-8 in the MEAC. The Aggies trail second-place Delaware State by just 1 ½ games, and hold the tiebreaker advantage over the Hornets. On the contrary, the Aggies are just a ½ game ahead of Norfolk State for the fifth-place spot.

With the teams so evenly matched, seeding may not matter heading into the MEAC Tournament May 14-16. But, the point and time when a team plays No. 1 seed Bethune-Cookman could play a factor.

Boles did his part by striking out seven Eagles. He received plenty of help, however. The Aggies hit three home runs in the second game. Boles also had an early lead to work with on Saturday.

George Hines led off the Aggies first with a double to right field. He scored on a Chris Mullins double to left-center field for a 1-0 Aggies lead. After Mullins was picked off of second, C.J. Beatty walked and Jaron Neal singled to rekindle the Aggies rally. Cyril Daniel scored Beatty with a RBI single to right, which was followed by a RBI single to left by reigning MEAC Rookie of the Week Marquis Riley.

The Aggies added three more runs in the second. Hines hit his career-high sixth home run of the season to give N.C. A&T a 4-0 advantage. Mullins made the second out with a fly ball to left field. Beatty kept the inning going with a single to left field. It set up Nick Rogers’ ninth home run of the season to give the Aggies a 6-0 cushion. Rogers tied teammate Xavier Macklin for the home run lead in the MEAC with his blast.

Boles made the Aggies feel comfortable with their lead. The only run surrendered came on a groundout to third. Six different Aggies had two hits in the second game. In the first game, George Hines went 3-for-3 with three runs scored and three RBIs. Both Rogers and James Howard went 3-for-5 with four RBIs.  

With the Aggies leading 12-6 in the sixth, Rogers opened the sixth with a double to left center. Jaron Neal began to put the Eagles away with a RBI triple. Riley earned another extra base hit with a double that scored Neal to give the Aggies a 14-6 lead. Lester Rivenbark walked to set up James Howard’s two-run RBI double down the left field line to give the Aggies an insurmountable 10-run lead.

Esterlin Paulino earned the victory to improve to 5-4. The Aggies and the Eagles will conclude their series Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. It will be Senior Day for seven Aggie seniors.