DURHAM, N.C. – The defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference baseball champions are off to a 1-0 start in the conference after a gutsy pitching performance from senior Tim Luth and the continued emergence of junior Cam Williamson.
North Carolina A&T defeated longtime rival N.C. Central 7-4 Friday in the first game of a three-game series to be played at Durham Athletic Park.
Luth ate up seven innings for the Aggies (8-5, 1-0 MEAC). He gave up 10 hits and four runs, three earned and struck out two to improve to 2-0 on the season. The bullpen then came in and pitched two scoreless innings with senior Leon Hunter earning his second save of the season. Meanwhile, Williamson is off to the best start of his career. On Friday, he went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI.
The Eagles (5-9, 0-1 MEAC) jumped out to a 2-0 lead over Luth thanks to an RBI sacrifice fly to center in the first and an RBI double in the second. But the Aggies answered against N.C. Central starter Chris Kernen. Kernen, who came into the game with a 1.50 ERA, was roughed up for seven earned runs over six innings.
N.C. A&T started doing its damage against the Eagles in the third inning. Ryne Stanley got the Aggies on the board with a two-run home run to left field to tie the game at 2. The fun was not over yet, however.
Williamson hit a one-out double to right-center field which was followed by a single from senior A.J. Hunt. With runners on second and third after Hunt stole second, senior Dawnoven Smith brought Williamson home with an RBI sac fly to give the Aggies a 3-2 lead.
N.C. A&T never trailed again. They added to their lead with a two-out rally in the fourth inning. Junior Dustin Baber got things going with a double that set up an RBI single through the left side that scored Baber. Stanley was 2-for-4 on the day with two runs scored and three RBI. Senior Jason King was then hit by a pitch which led to Williamson pounding out a three-run homer to right center for a 7-2 Aggies advantage.
The Eagles tried to battle back with a run apiece in the fifth and the sixth innings. Before he left the game, Luth did pitch a perfect seventh inning. The Aggies did run into some trouble in the eighth inning when the Eagles put runners on first and second with no one out.
Left-handed reliever Ethan Chavis came out of the bullpen to pitch the Aggies out of the tight spot. He was successful. He got Caleb Coyle to hit into a double play before striking out Alex Ortiz to end the threat.
Senior RHP Leon Hunter came in to pitch the ninth. He gave up a two-out walk to Josh Brammell. But he struck out Eagles leading hitter Corey Joyce to end the game. Coyle led the Eagles with a 2-for-4 performance that included two runs scored.
The Aggies and Eagles will play Game 2 of the series 1 p.m., Saturday.
