MEAC baseball tournament roundup

North Carolina A&T 4, Norfolk State 2

No. 2 seed North Carolina A&T scored two runs on a two-out dropped fly ball in the eighth inning Thursday and held on for a win over the fifth-seeded tourney host in a first-round MEAC tournament game.

With the game tied at 2, the Aggies (28-28) got back-to-back two-out singles by C.J. Beatty and Joe McIntyre in the eighth off NSU reliever Quinn Bright (Chesapeake). Nick Rogers' long fly ball to the wall in left-center was mishandled by center fielder TiQuan Griffin for a two-run error.

A&T reliever John Primus worked around a single by Brad Stephenson (Chesapeake) and his own one-out error to hold the Spartans (21-23) off in the top of the ninth. Primus (5-4) got the win by pitching 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. Bright (5-6) was the loser, allowing the two unearned runs in one inning of relief.

Stephenson and Anselmo Cantu each went 2 for 4 for the Spartans, who outhit the Aggies 9-7. Jones and McIntyre had three hits each for N.C. A&T.

NSU plays a 10 a.m. elimination game today against No. 6 Maryland-Eastern Shore. The Aggies face No. 3 Florida A&M at 2 p.m. today.

Bethune-Cookman 13, Maryland-Eastern Shore 1

Top-seeded Bethune-Cookman breezed through its opening game. Hiram Burgos, the MEAC's top pitcher this season, improved to 9-1.

The Wildcats (34-20) scored four times in the first inning, then closed things out with four in the seventh, sending the advantage to 12 runs and triggering the run-rule end to the game. Maryland-Eastern Shore (6-49) meets Norfolk State this morning in an elimination game.

Florida A&M 7, Delaware State 6

Tim Schalch had a one-out, bases-clearing single in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Rattlers (20-20).

Cirilo Manego pitched a complete game for the victors, allowing six runs - five earned - on 12 hits and four walks. He struck out eight.

Troy Drummond was 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored for Delaware State (16-32), which falls into the losers' bracket and will play the Maryland-Eastern Shore-Norfolk State winner at 6 tonight.