Baseball Uses Solid Pitching to Win In 13
TJ Ash scores game-winning run in the 13th
from www.ncataggies.com
EAST GREENSBORO – Sophomore outfielder TJ Ash(Southeast Guilford High School) scored on a wild pitch to give North Carolina A&T a 3-2 walk-off win over the Davidson Wildcats in the 13th inning Tuesday night in a non-conference baseball tilt at War World Memorial Stadium. It was the Aggies second walk-off win in as many weeks.
A&T improved to 10-14 after getting off to a quick start in the bottom of the first inning when sophomore designated hitter Camden Jackson tattooed a two-run bomb over the right field wall. Davidson (19-5) evened the score on a two-run shot of their own off the bat of shortstop Jacob Hinderleider in the fourth.
Eight innings of scoreless baseball followed, primarily due to both pitching staffs rising to the occasion.
But Ash started the Aggies breakthrough in the home 13th as he drew a lead-off walk. Then, junior corner infielder Cort Maynard attempted to bunt him over to second, but instead, Wildcats right-hander Brian Craven hit him with the pitch to put runners on first and second. It was the third time in the game a pitch hit him.
Junior infielder Anthony Hennings stepped to the plate and laid a beautiful roller down the left field line. Craven came off the mound, scooped the ball, hesitated momentarily, and fired to first. In what appeared to be an infield single for Hennings.
The umpire thought differently and called him out in a bang-bang play. His out was a productive one, though, as he advanced both runners 90 feet to second and third. Davidson made their final call to the bullpen, bringing left-hander Isaac Fix in to face Jackson.
Unfortunately for them, his first pitch was wild, clipping the edge of home plate and passing catcher Michael Carico to the backstop leading to Ash’s game-winning run.
Both pitching staffs brought their A-game Tuesday. A&T was held to two hits, Jackson’s homer being the biggest.
As for the Aggies arms, freshman RHP Evan Demurias got the start. He turned in two scoreless innings, allowing one hit with a strikeout. Then, freshman Michael Crayton entered and put forth two more innings of work, giving up two runs on Hinderleider’s shot in the fourth.
Sophomore Isaiah Brewington, who was hitting 93 on the gun, tallied two scoreless innings himself, striking out three.
Sophomore RHP Xavier Meachem was the most impressive of A&T’s relievers. He accrued three innings of work with five strikeouts while touching 95 on the radar gun.
Junior RHP Jeremiah Foster (W, 1-0) entered in the 12th and pitched two hitless innings to earn the first win of his career. He also tallied a strikeout to his line.
“Our pitching was outstanding tonight,” said A&T coach Ben Hall. “They pitched well. If we did anything wrong on the mound tonight, that game doesn’t go our way, so our pitchers carried us tonight.”