Spring Championship Results
B-CC, Hampton Sweep in MEACBASEBALL
The Bethune-Cookman College Wildcats won their fifth consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Baseball title the hard way Sunday, winning two nine-inning games, 7-4 and 9-5, to bounce third-seeded Florida A&M in Cracker Jack Stadium at Disney's Wide World of Sports.
The Wildcats (30-26) will receive the league's automatic NCAA Regional bid for play to begin May 30-June 1.
Florida A&M (31-21), which defeated the Wildcats in a 3-2 thriller in Saturday's semifinals, needed just one win Sunday to capture their seventh league pennant since 1987.
But the Wildcats, who reached Sunday's title round after a 12-3 late Saturday knockout of North Carolina A&T, sent MEAC Player of the Year John Gragg to the hill in Game One.
Gragg, the tournament MVP, scattered eight hits in nine innings, allowing just three hits over the final six innings, striking out six.
He aided his own cause in the opener with three hits including a double and triple, driving in two runs.
In Game Two, B-CC's Juan Figueroa pitched six-plus innings in keeping the Rattlers at bay. He fanned four, scattering 10 hits.
SOFTBALL
The Lady Wildcats of Bethune Cookman College won the 2003 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Softball Title today, defeating The Lady Rattlers of Florida A&M 6-3.
BCC (48-19) scored three runs in their half of the first inning when Amber Jackson doubled to centerfield to score Jennifer East. Darcy Villalobos doubled to left field to score Jackson from third. One batter later, Rachel Kilbert doubled to center field to score Villalobos.
FAMU score two runs in their half of the second inning when Neikole Royester reached first on a BCC error to score Kim Saunders from third base. FAMU scored their second run of the inning, when Eria Williams grounded out to second base to score Shatoya Johnson from third base.
Danielle Brown (19-12) started the game for FAMU, she pitched two innings, giving up four hits and scoring three runs. Monique Mattingly (7-6) finished the game for FAMU giving up two hits and three earned runs.
The starter for BCC was Lauren McCoy, who gave up one hit and one earned run in 2.0 innings of work. Katie Finn finished the game for BCC giving up one run and scattering three hits.
BCC scored one run in the fifth inning, when East grounded out to third to score Jackson, who tripled to center field in her previous at bat.
FAMU scored one run in their half of the sixth inning, when Javetta Dryer hit a deep fly to center field to score Mattingly from third base.
BCC scored two runs in the sixth inning on FAMU errors to score Jamie Tanksley and Chloe Thomas to give BCC a final score of 6-3.
BCC wins their fourth MEAC Softball Championship in a row (2000, '01, '02, '03), and they will represent the MEAC conference in the NCAA Softball Regionals.
TRACK AND FIELD
The Hampton University men's and women's track teams swept to convincing wins of the 2003 MEAC track championships on Saturday at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.
The Hampton men tallied 128 points, well ahead of runner-up Florida A&M (95). The Pirates were led by Jerome Mathis, the men's Most Outstanding Performer. Mathis, who won the same title at the indoor championships, won the 100- and 200-meter races, placed second in the high jump, and was on Hampton's fifth-place 4x100 relay team.
The Hampton women finished with 140 points, almost twice the output of second-place Morgan State (80). The Lady Pirates were led by Eboni White, who finished second among all female athletes by earning her team 26 points. She won the 1,500 meters, the 3,000, and finished third in the 800. Kellie Wells and Maisha Pinkard of Hampton tied for fifth, earning 19.25 points each.
The women's Most Outstanding Performer was Bethune-Cookman's Nadine Clarke. She won the javelin, the discus and the shot put. She won the javelin by more than four meters over runner-up Ashley Horn of Morgan State, the discus by more than four and a half meters over runner-up Donisha Freeman of North Carolina A&T, and the shot by about half a meter over Freeman.
MEAC athletes set four meet records this weekend. FAMU's Robin McClain won the heptathlon with a record tally of 4,963 points, breaking the old record of 4,800 which she set in 2000.
Damion Drummond of Maryland-Eastern Shore broke the record in the 800 meters, which had stood since 1986. Drummond had a time of 1:49.41, breaking the old standard of 1:49.72 established by South Carolina State's Ezra Catwell.
The men's and women's pole vault meet records were also broken, both by SCSU athletes. David Stephens of South Carolina State broke his own meet record of 17 feet, 1.25 inches. His best attempt here was 17 feet, 1.75 inches.
SCSU's Cora Johnson won the women's pole vault with a best try of nine feet, 5.25 inches.
All-MEAC Baseball Team
Bethune-Cookman's John Gragg has been voted the 2003 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Baseball Player of the Year by the conference's Sports Information Directors and Head Baseball Coaches.
Gragg, a 5-10 Senior Outfielder/Pitcher from Beaumont, Texas, had a great season while playing at two
different positions. At the plate, Graggs batted .424 (1st in the MEAC), recorded 75 hits and 49 RBIs (1st in the MEAC in both). As a pitcher Gragg had an ERA of 3.26 (3rd in the MEAC) and finished the regular season
with 73 strikeouts (2nd in the MEAC).
- Player of the Year
- John Gragg, BCC
- Rookie of the Year
- Colin Irvine, BCC
- Coach of the Year
- Joe Durant, FAMU
2B - Brad Frick, 5-10, 165, Jr., BCC Br. Col.,Canada
IF - Frank Scott, 5-8, 170, Sr., FAMU - Orlando, FL
1B - Bret Underwood, 6-0, 200, Jr., DSU - Wilm., DE
2B - Quincy Jones, 5-11, 200, Sr., NCAT- Butner, NC
OF/P - John Gragg, 5-10, 185, Sr., BCC - Beaumont, TX
OF - Seb. Boucher, 6-0, 180, So., BCC - Ont., Canada
OF - Scott Martin, 6-1, 220, Sr., DSU - Middleton, DE
C/P - Eug. Goodson, 6-0, 195, Sr., NSU - Poquoson, VA
DH/1B - Adam Figueroa, 5-11, 200, Sr., CSC - Bronx, NY
© 2003 Azeez Communications, Inc.
