Norfolk, Va. (May 15, 2013) --- North Carolina A&T scored five runs in the top of the 13th inning to defeat Delaware State 16-11 in the opening round of the MEAC Tournament at Marty Miller Field today. The top-seeded Hornets trailed 11-9 before scoring two runs on a J.P. Frey double after an Aggie error with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to send the game into extra innings.
DSU had just one hit after the ninth inning rally.
Delaware State got off to a fast start in the contest. After North Carolina A&T loaded the bases with none out in the top of the first inning, Hornet starter Elliott Gardner worked out of the jam without allowing a run, thanks to an inning-ending double play.
Cameron Cecil singled to lead off the DSU first. He advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and moved to third on a wild pitch. Cecil scored the first run of the game on a North Carolina A&T throwing error. Aaron Nardone singled in Mike Alexander with two outs in first to give the Hornets a 2-0 lead.
Delaware State scored a run in the second inning to stretch their lead to 3-0. Hassan Evans led off the inning with a single and later scored on a two-out single by Cameron Onderko.
North Carolina A&T answered with five runs in the top of the third to take the lead. The first two Aggie runs crossed the plate on a DSU error. Cameron Jergens singled in a third inning run to tie the game at 3-3. Two batters later, Mark Nales tripled to the wall in right center to score two runs, giving the Aggies a 5-3 lead.
Brandon Wilkerson singled in two runs off Hornet reliever George Michael with two outs in the fourth to stretch the North Carolina A&T lead to 7-3.
Delaware State began its comeback with a run in the fourth inning. Evans started the rally with a one out single. He later scored on a throwing error by the Aggies to pull the Hornets to with 7-4.
DSU pulled closer with two runs in the fifth. Mike Alexander, who singled with one out, scored the first run of the inning on a fielder's choice grounder by Evans; and Nardone, who also singled, scored the second run on an error to cut the A&T lead to 7-6.
The Hornets tied the score in the sixth. Cecil doubled to lead off the inning and crossed the plate on a two-out single by Alexander to tie the game at 7-7.
Delaware State took its first lead with since the third inning with two runs in the eighth. Cecil reached base on a strikeout-wild pitch to lead off the inning. He was sacrificed to second and advanced to third on a two-out infield single by Alexander. Cecil was sent home with the go-ahead run on a balk by Aggie reliever Tyler Boone. Nardone then tripled home Alexander to give the Hornets a 9-7 lead heading into the ninth inning.
After Michael allowed the first two NCA&T runners to reach base in the ninth, he was relieved by Derek Marshallsea, walked the next batter to load the bases. Jergens followed with a single to right to score two runs and tie the game at 9-9. The next batter, Dairio Little, doubled in two runs to give the Aggies an 11-9 lead.
Evans opened the DSU ninth with a single to right field. Boone struck out Mitchell Moore for the first out in the inning. Evans was forced out at second on a grounder by Onderko for out No. 2 in the ninth. Cecil followed with a grounder to second for what appeared to be final out of the game, but Aggie first baseman Kelvin Freeman dropped the throw to give the Hornets new life. DSU took advantage of the gift when Frey doubled to right center, scoring Onderko and Cecil to tie the game at 11-11.
Freeman drove in the go-ahead run for the Aggies in the 13th on a sacrifice fly. Five different NCA&T players knocked in runs in the inning.
Boone (4-4) threw eight innings in relief to earn the win; while Marshallsea (3-4), who tossed five innings out of the pen, was tagged with a loss for the Hornets.
The four-hour-43-minute contest featured 34 hits, eight errors and 416 pitches. It was Delaware State's first MEAC Tournament extra-inning game since a 14-13, 11-inning loss to North Carolina A&T in 1999.
Alexander was 4-for-6 with a run batted in, while Nardone had three hits and a RBI in seven at bats for the Hornets. Cecil Frey, Evans and Moore had two hits each for DSU.
Delaware State will take on the loser of the Bethune-Cookman/Coppin State opening round game in a tournament elimination contest on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
The Hornets must win six games over the next four days to capture the school's first MEAC Tournament championship since 1989.
