Spring Sports Round-Up
Bethune-Cookman takes fourth straight MEAC Baseball title
The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats won their fourth consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Baseball title on Sunday with a 15-9 victory over the North Carolina A&T Aggies at the Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
BCU's Ryan Durrence was 2-5 with a home run and five RBI to lead the 15-run, 12-hit attack against the Aggies. Freshman lefty Ali Simpson (9-2) won his seventh consecutive game, pitching five innings while three relievers Joseph Munoz, Rayan Gonzalez and Felix Machado pitched the final four innings to help secure the victory.
Head Coach Mervyl Melendez was named the Outstanding Tournament Coach for the ninth time in his career.
"We have been playing well the last 2-3 weeks and this is the team I envisioned earlier in the year we saw that team today and this weekend," said Melendez. "We need to continue to peak, continue to swing the bats like we've been and continue to pitch well."
North Carolina A&T freshman Marquis Riley earned Outstanding Tournament Performer honors.
Bethune-Cookman will find out who its next opponent is on Monday, May 25 when the NCAA Baseball Selection Show will air live on ESPN at 12:30 p.m. The NCAA Baseball Regionals are scheduled to begin on May 29.
TOURNAMENT AWARD WINNERS
Outstanding Performer: Marquis Riley, North Carolina A&T
Outstanding Coach: Mervyl Melendez, Bethune-Cookman
2009 All-Tournament Team
John Lynch, Norfolk State; Tim Schalch, Florida A&M; Chris Fullman, Florida A&M
Xavier Macklin, North Carolina A&T; Juan Herrera, Norfolk State; CJ
Lauriello, Bethune-Cookman; Hiram Burgos, Bethune-Cookman; George Hines, North
Carolina A&T; Chase Davenport, Norfolk State; Russel Deutschmann, Maryland
Eastern Shore; Bryan Chaikowsky, Maryland Eastern Shore; Marquis Riley, North
Carolina A&T; Darryl Evans, Florida A&M
Lehigh knocks out Florida A&M in NCAA Softball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. The Florida A&M Lady Rattlers saw their 2009 season come to an end Saturday afternoon as they dropped a 9-0 decision to Lehigh (Pa.) University in an elimination round game at the Gainesville Regional of the NCAA Championships.
FAMU (30-32) managed just one hit a first-inning single by Rhianna Green against Lehigh's Mountain Hawks (37-17-1), who advanced to face Texas A&M in an elimination final Saturday evening.
FAMU, managed only two hits and dropped its first game 12-0 in five innings to top-seeded and host Florida.
Mississippi Valley State plays well, wins a game before Softball elimination
Mississippi Valley State bowed out of the NCAA Softball Tournament, losing to Texas 4-0 in the elimination round of the Tuscaloosa Regional hosted by the University of Alabama.
Texas scored a single run in the third, two in the sixth, and one in the seventh to advance to the Regional final against Alabama.
The Devilettes had stayed alive in the Regional as they scored one run in the bottom of the first inning and proceeded to cling to that lead, eliminating Chattanooga, 1-0 in game four of the Regional. The game was delayed nearly four hours due to inclement weather earlier in the day.
The only score of the game came when Haleigh Eubanks drove in Rashundra Brass. The win was the first NCAA tournament victory for the Devilettes since 2004.
MVSU lost to Alabama 12-3 in its NCAA Softball Tournament opener.
SPRING RESULTS
Division II Baseball Playoffs
· In Kutztown, PA
May 15 > West Va State 4, Kutztown 1
> Mercyhurst 4, West Va State 1
May 16 > West Va State 6, Kuztown 1
> Mercyhurst 8, WVSU 7 (WVSU eliminated)
· In Magnolia, AR
May 14 > Southern Arkansas 14, Stillman 1
May 15 > Tampa 21, Stillman 8 ( SC eliminated)
Division I Softball Playoffs
· In Gainesville, FL
May 15 > Florida 12, Florida A&M 0
May 16 > Lehigh 9, Florida A&M 0 (FAMU eliminated)
· In Tuscaloosa, AL
May 15 > Alabama 12, Miss Valley State 3
May 16 > Miss Valley State 1, Chattanooga 0
May 17 > Texas 4, Miss Valley State 0 (MVSU eliminated)
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