Baseball Drops Season Opener at N.C. Central

Friday, February 19

Durham, NC

Army West Point

North Carolina Central University

Baseball Drops Season Opener at N.C. Central

February 19, 2021 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Rachel Caton

DURHAM, N.C. – The Army baseball team dropped the 2021 season opener at N.C. Central on Friday evening, 9-4 at Durham Athletic Park.

The Black Knights dug themselves an early hole as N.C. Central put up four in the second inning on a grand slam, two in the third and one in the fourth to take a 7-0 lead. They then tacked on two more in the sixth to put the Black Knights down 9-0. Army responded with four unanswered runs to close out the game, but it was too little too late.

The Black Knights collected seven hits to N.C. Central's nine, but just couldn't get the big hit, stranding 11 runners on base.

Anthony LoRicco got the start on Friday night for the Black Knights, and tossed 3.2 innings, allowing seven runs (six earned) on six hits. He struck out four, but also walked four, three of those runners coming around to score. A grand slam in the second inning by N.C. Central's Fajardo put the Black Knights in an early hole.

Brian Dawson entered in relief in the fourth inning and got a big out to limit the damage, stranding one runner. He tossed two complete innings, allowing two runs on three hits with two strikeouts.

Ben DeLaubell rounded things out on the bump for the Black Knights, tossing 2.1 scoreless to finish out the game, allowing the Black Knights to cut into the lead down the stretch and secure momentum going into tomorrow's contest.

At the plate, Jeremiah Adams and pinch hitter/catcher Cam Cerruto both had two hits on the day, while Ross Friedrick blasted the first long ball of the year for the Black Knights, a two-run bomb in the seventh inning. Both Adams and Cerruto also had an RBI on the day.

In the seventh inning the Black Knights got on the board with three runs on three hits, with Adams doubling home Kevin Dubrule who led off the inning with a single. Then Friedrick homered to right to add on two more runs.

In the eighth the Black Knights added one more as Cerruto doubled home Meade who led off the inning with a walk and took second on a passed ball.

NOTES

The opening day start for LoRicco is his seventh career start (three in 2020, three in 2019).
The two-run home run for Friedrick was the first of his career.
Two RBI ties his career-high mark set vs. Western Michigan in 2020.
Cerruto's two-hit performance is his third multi-hit outing of his career, one hit shy of tying his career-high mark of three.
DeLaubell made his eighth appearance (all in relief) of his career).
Dawson's appearance out of the pen is the fifth of his career.

WHAT'S NEXT
The Black Knights will be back in action for game two of the series at N.C. Central at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 20.