Neal hits two home runs

Box Score
GREENSBORO, May 3, 2009 – North Carolina A&T’s baseball team has an excellent shot at finishing second in the MEAC this season despite its youth.

But on Sunday, the winless Coppin State Eagles appeared they wanted to make the Aggies earn that right. N.C. A&T did just that with a hard-fought 14-9 win over the Eagles Sunday afternoon at War Memorial Stadium. The Aggies’ three-game sweep of the Eagles improved them to 9-8 in the conference with one conference game remaining on Monday, May 11 at Florida A&M.

The N.C. A&T baseball program honored seven seniors before the game as Chris Mullins, Jaron Neal, Cyril Daniel, Ryan Sellers, Jared Via, James Howard and Ty Hall played their final game at War Memorial Stadium. Mullins, Daniel and Neal made the best of their special day.

Mullins went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and one run scored. Daniel was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Neal had a 3-for-5 afternoon that included two home runs, a double, three runs scored and three RBIs.

The Aggies trailed 9-7 going into the seventh inning. Neal started what would be an impressive display of power by homering to right-center field. Daniel followed with a home run to left field to tie the game at 9. Marquis Riley, who had a 3-for-5 day at the plate, put another extra base hit on the board with a double down the left field line.

Lester Rivenbark singled to center field to put runners on first and third. A throwing error by the Eagles allowed Howard to reach and Riley and Rivenbark to score for an 11-9 Aggies lead. N.C. A&T kept slugging away in the eighth inning. C.J. Beatty opened the inning with a double to right field. Nick Rogers followed by hitting his league-leading 10^th home run of the season to give the Aggies a four-run lead. Neal closed out the Aggies scoring with his second home run of the day.

Head coach Keith Shumate then turned to John Smith to close out the Eagles. Smith pitched two innings of scoreless and hitless baseball to earn his second save of the season. The Aggies will play at UNC Asheville on Saturday before traveling to Tallahassee, Fla., to play the Ratters. The Aggies begin play in the MEAC Tournament on May 14.