RALEIGH, N.C. – Saint Augustine’s University combined for 27 hits to defeat Virginia State University 16-13 and 9-2 in a CIAA baseball doubleheader at Optimist Park on Sunday, April 10, 2016.
The victories improved the Falcons’ conference record to 7-5. The Falcons are third in the CIAA standings behind front runner Chowan University (11-4) and Winston-Salem State University (5-3). Virginia State is fourth (3-8) and Lincoln (Pa.) University is fifth (1-7). The top four teams advance to the CIAA Tournament, which will be held April 28-30 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C.
The Falcons played their final home games of the regular season Sunday. They conclude the regular season this weekend with a four-game series against Winston-Salem State in Asheboro, N.C. A doubleheader is scheduled for Saturday, April 16, and Sunday, April 17, beginning at 1 p.m. each day.
Relying on superior hitting, the Falcons swept the Trojans Sunday to take three of four games in the weekend series. They amassed 15 hits in the first game and pounded out 12 hits in the second game.
The foursome of Tyquan Bryant (Fr./Henderson, NC), Darrell Langston (So./Chicago, IL), William Thomas (Sr./Yorktown, VA) and Corey Brassington (Jr./Raleigh, NC) led the Falcons on offense in the first game. Bryant was 3-for-3 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored, and Langston was 2-for-3 with a triple, three RBIs and one run scored. Thomas was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and one run scored and Brassington was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Carey Cheek (Sr./Baltimore, MD) finished 3-for-5 with a double, one RBI and three runs scored. Hector Pichardo (Fr./Dominican Republic) was 2-for-4 with a double and three runs scored.
The Falcons scored two runs in the first inning to take a 2-1 lead. Cameron Lopez (Fr./Vineland, NJ) scored on Langston’s RBI single and Cheek scored on Thomas’ sacrifice fly.
The Trojans scored one run in the second inning and four runs in the third inning to move ahead 6-2. The Falcons responded with seven runs in the bottom of the third to retake the lead at 9-6. Bryant scored the first run in the third on Langston’s sacrifice fly. Lopez scored on Thomas’ RBI single and Cheek scored on Ricky Martin’s (Sr./Raleigh, NC) RBI groundout.
Thomas scored on an infield error and Pichardo scored on Brassington’s RBI single. Brassington scored on an infield error.
The Falcons exploded for six more runs in the fifth for a 15-6 lead. Mikal Batts (Jr./Kinston, NC) scored on Brassington’s RBI single and Bryant hit a two-run double to score Brassington and Pichardo. Bryant scored on Cheek’s RBI double and Cheek scored on Langston’s RBI triple. Langston scored on Thomas’ RBI single.
After the Trojans scored two runs in the sixth, the Falcons answered with a run in the bottom of the inning for a 16-8 lead when Pichardo scored on Bryant’s RBI single. The Trojans scored five runs in the seventh but the Falcons held off the visitors for the win.
Thomas earned the win after pitching 3.2 innings as a reliever. Aaron Harris and David Markins tallied three RBIs each for the Trojans, who had 12 hits.
In the second game, the Falcons built an early lead. They scored three runs in the second and two runs in the third to jump in front 5-0.
In the second inning, Martin scored on Bryant’s RBI single and Joshua Bumgardner (So./Durham, NC) scored on a two-run single by Cheek. In the third inning, Thomas scored on Martin’s RBI triple and Martin scored on Batts’ RBI groundout.
After Markins of the Trojans (4-26 overall) belted a solo home run in the fourth, the Falcons came back with four runs in the bottom of the inning for a 9-1 lead. Lopez scored on a passed ball and Langston scored on Thomas’ RBI double. Thomas scored on Martin’s RBI double and Martin scored on Batts RBI groundout. The Trojans added a run in the seventh for the final score.
Martin was the offensive catalyst for the Falcons (12-27 overall) in the second game. He was 3-for-4 with a double, triple, two RBIs and three runs scored. Batts and Cheek also drove in two runs and Bryant was 2-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored. Thomas was 1-for-2 with a double, one RBI and two runs scored.
Brassington was the winning pitcher after scattering seven hits in seven complete innings. He struck out seven and walked one for the victory.
