AGGIES ADVANCE TO TITLE GAME

N.C. A&T baseball team advances to the MEAC Championship game

 LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA., APRIL 30, 2005 – N.C. A&T sophomore third baseman Charlie Gamble had three hits and five RBI, including a three-run homer to advance N.C. A&T into the championship game of the MEAC Baseball Tournament with a 13-3 win over Norfolk State at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex.

The top-seeded Aggies (26-24) will be making their first championship game appearance when they play the Bethune-Cookman/Norfolk State winner at 10 a.m., Sunday. N.C. A&T has won both of its games in the tournament by a combined score of 23-4.

It wasn’t until late in the game when the Aggies took control on Saturday, however. Norfolk State rallied from an early 5-0 deficit to move to within three runs at 6-3 on an RBI double off the bat of Rocco Savage in the top of the sixth.

A good throw from Aggies right fielder Raul Santiago prevented the damage from being worse as his relay throw kept Ranard Miller at third. With runners on third and second, the Spartans still had the tying run come to the plate in the inning.

Wes Bush flied out to left, however, to end the inning. It would the Spartans’ last chance at pulling off the upset. In the Aggies half of the sixth, the Spartans took a gamble that did not pay off.

Norfolk State starter Frankie Caldeyro started the inning by getting Nick Mayo to ground out. He then walked Phillip Brewington, which meant he had to face to first-team All-MEAC performers in Jeremy Jones and Charlie Gamble back-to-back with just one out.

Jones singled to right, advancing Brewington to third. Jones stole second on a 2-0 pitch, which left the Spartans with the decision on whether to walk Gamble to face Patrick Oates.

Caldeyro’s 3-0 pitch went down the middle and then over the right-center field fence for a three-run homer, his 12th of the season, to give N.C. A&T a 9-3 lead. Everything went down hill from there for Caldeyro. He gave up three more runs in the inning, the last three being unearned to fall to 0-4 on the season.

N.C. A&T designated hitter Joe McIntyre contributed with three hits and four RBI. He is 7-for-11 with four RBI in the tournament thus far. Jones and Brewington scored three runs apiece.

Freshman John Primus (7-2) pitched nine innings, gave up three runs which were all earned and struck out four to earn the win.