Spring Sports Round-up
Bethune-Cookman battles gamely in NCAA Baseball
MEAC champion Bethune-Cookman
dropped two one-run decisions, both by 8-7
scores, to be eliminated from the NCAA Div. I
baseball playoffs over the weekend.
The Wildcats (32-28), playing in the Gainsville Regional with top-seed Florida, first surrendered three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to fall to the Gators by the 8-7 score in their first game Saturday.
Then later Saturday, Jacksonville got a home run in the top half of the eighth inning and then held off a B-CU rally in the ninth to claim another 8-7 win over the 'Cats.
The two tough losses brought an end to the season for the Wildcats who won their fourth straight MEAC title and earned their ninth NCAA berth in 10 seasons.
"I know thatour program is very good and people who play us know that they have to play excellent baseball to beat us," said B-CU Head Coach Mervyl Melendez, who was asked after the two close losses when his team would break through and win a regional.
"Our guys fought hard and we came up short. What we are doing at Bethune-Cookman, people recognize the work and effort our players and coaching staff put in. We have no regrets. We playedand fought as hard as we could and the players deserve better (than the two tough losses)."
"Mervyl Melendez needs a lot of credit for what he has done at Bethune-Cookman and I mean that from the heart," said JU head coach Terry Alexander.
In the Florida game, B-CU went up 4-0 early and lead 6-3 on senior catcher Drew Clark's pinch-hit two-run homer in the top of the eighth. After the Gators scored two runs to pull within 6-5 in their half of the eighth, B-CU slugger Ryan Durrence hit a solo home run to put the 'Cats up 7-5 in the ninth.
But Florida pushed across three runs in the ninth, the winning runs scoring on a two-run single by catcher Teddy Foster.
"We played well," said Melendez. "Our guys are upset with the loss and we battled and fought to the end. It wasn't meant to be - and you have to give Florida credit for their comeback."
In the Jacksonville game, Durrence's single up the middle scored Justin Hoyte and C. J. Lauriello to tie the game at 7-7 in the seventh. But Jacksonville's Chuck Opachich's solo home run in the eighth was the game-winner.
Alejandro Jimenez and Clark both homered for B-CU. Jiminez was 4-4 (two singles, triple,home run)to lead the B-CU offense. Lauriella was 2-5 in the ball game and ended the season leading the Wildcat hitters with a .403 season average.
Southern bows out of Baton Rouge BB Regional
SWAC champion Southern could not
get by Minnesota or LSU and was eliminated from the NCAA Div. I Baseball Regional in
Baton Rouge Saturday.
The Jags started strong but a seven-run seventh did the Jaguars in as LSU prevailed 10-2 in their first outing Saturday.
The Jaguars (30-16) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on Victor Franklin's two-run homer but Southern would not score again despite leaving runners in scoring position in the first, second, third, fifth and seventh innings.
LSU (47-16) scored all of its runs in the final three innings. Trailing 2-1 in the seventh, the Tigers scored seven runs, all with two outs, aided by two Jaguar errors to break the game open.
Southern lost to Minnesota 11-8 and was eliminated later Saturday.
The Jags (30-17) battled back from 4-0 and 8-3 deficits in the game, scoring five runs in the seventh to tie the score. Brad McDavid had a two-run double, while Edmond Morton Jr. and Michael Thomas had RBI hits in the inning.
Minnesota took the lead for good with a single run in the eighth and a pair of runs in the ninth.
Jesse Olivar went 3-for-5, while McDavid and James Armstrong each had two hits for Southern's 13-hit attack.
Several athletes advance from East Regional track
One black college athlete won his event
and others qualified for the national
championships over the weekend at the NCAA Div. I
East Regional Track and Field Championships held
at Aggie Stadium on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University
in Greensboro, N.C.
The NCAA Div. I national championships will be held in Fayetteville, Ark. on June 10-13. The top five finishers in individual events and the top three relay teams advanced to the finals.
Bethune-Cookman shot putter Ron Danielle Williams finishing fifth in her event, throwing a distance of 15.31m (50-02.75 ft.). Although Williams did not finish in the top three at the Regional, her distance qualifies her for an appearance in the national meet.
Senior Dianne Munroe of B-CU finished seventh in the 100 meter finals (11.7) and sixth in the 200 meter finals (24.03) but did not run a qualifying time for the nationals.
Hampton sophomore Francena McCorory (52.00) and North Carolina A&T senior Alexandria Spruiel (52.36) finished 1-2 in the 400 meter finals and both will advance to the national championships. Senior Lauren McNary of Howard was sixth in 53.78.
Loreal Smith of N. C. A&T finished fourth in the 100 meter hurdles with a 13.21 and advanced to the finals.
Landria Buckley of Howard clocked a preliminary qualifying time of 58.84 in the 400 meter hurdles prelims and finished seventh in the final in 59.53 but did not qualify.
On the men's side, Hampton freshman footballer Reggie Dixon and NC A&T junior Caleso Newman qualified for the 100 meter dash finals. Dixon finished third in 10.21 while Newman was fifth in 10.33.
Bethune-Cookman senior Joel Redhead led the qualifiers in the 200 meter dash with a 20.67 clocking. Redhead finished fifth in the finals in 20.99 and will make the trip to Arkansas.
Allodin Fothergill, a junior at Maryland-Eastern Shore, had the third-best 400 meter time (45.94) in the prelims before finishing sixth at 45.98 in the finals.
Bethune-Cookman sophomore Ronnie Ash led the qualifiers in the 110 meter hurdles at 13.55 and then won the event in 13.42 to advance to the national championships. Hampton's Predist Walker finished sixth in 13.96.
Delaware State freshman Leslie Murray finished fourth in the 400 meter hurdle final in 50.22 to eard a spot in the nationals.
Bethune-Cookman's 4x100 meter relay team of freshman Dante Sales, senior Joel Redhead, sophomore Eric Cray and freshman Chris Herring finished fourth in 39.93 and has an outside shot to be included in the nationals.
In the field events, NC A&T junior David McFadgen earned his spot with a fifth-place finish in the triple jump with a leap of 15.69 meters.
In the men's team scoring, Bethune-Cookman tallied 19 points and finished 12th. Others to score were Delaware State (14, T-15th), Hampton (13, T-19th), NC A&T (8, 28th), UMES (4, T-36th) and Coppin State (2, T-43rd).
For the women, A&T led the way with 17 points, good for 17th. Others to score were Hampton (10, T-21st), Bethune-Cookman (9, T-23rd) and Howard (8, T-26th),
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