Aggies go into tourney as the fifth seed

Box Score
TALLAHASSEE, Fla., May 11, 2009 – The North Carolina A&T baseball team learned its fate on Monday afternoon. The Aggies lost to Florida A&M in a makeup from earlier this season, 7-6 in 11 innings at Moore-Kittles Field.

The loss dropped the Aggies to 18-32 overall and 9-9 in the conference. Therefore, the Aggies will go into this week’s MEAC Tournament as the No. 5 seed. They will play the second-seeded Delaware State Hornets. The Aggies took two of three from the Hornets in Dover, Del., earlier this season.

Chris Mullins, George Hines and Xavier Macklin led the Aggies on Monday. Mullins had three hits and scored a run. Hines was 2-for-6 with two RBIs. Macklin went 2-for-5 with two RBIs, including a triple.

The Aggies trailed 6-5 going into the eighth inning. Marquis Riley led the inning off with a single to center field. Mullins followed with another single. Lester Rivenbark replaced Mullins on the base pads by reaching on a fielder’s choice after Mullins was forced out at second.

Riley advanced to third on the play, which set up Hines’ RBI groundout that tied the game at 6. Aggies Blaine McCraw pitched solidly for the Aggies, holding the Rattlers to just one hit over the eighth, ninth and 10^th innings. Hines opened the Aggies half of the 11^th inning by looking to reward McCraw. Hines doubled down the right field line. But Timothy Schalch, who pitched 11 innings on Monday, retired the Aggies in order after Hines’ hit.

The Rattlers’ Adam Gordon opened the Rattlers half of the 11^th with a walk. Darryl Evans put runners on first and second with a bunt single. Jared Jeffries then hit a walk-off single to give the Rattlers the win. The Aggies will begin play in the MEAC Tournament Thursday at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Ormond Beach, Fla.

N.C. A&T opened the game with an early lead. Hines opened the game with a single. He moved to second on a groundout and to third on a throwing error. After C.J. Beatty walked, Nick Rogers singled up the middle for a 1-0 Aggies lead. Beatty later scored a passed ball to give N.C. A&T a 2-0 lead. The Rattlers would fight back to take a 5-3 lead going into the sixth.

The Aggies rallied as Riley opened the sixth inning by walking. Mullins singled to put runners on first and second. Rivenbark moved the runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Hines grounded out to second to score Riley for a 5-4 Rattlers advantage. Macklin then tied the game with a RBI triple to tie the game at 5 before the Aggies would have to rally again to send the game into extra innings.