Baseball Drops Close One at N.C. Central. 5-4

Sunday, February 21

Durham, NC

1:00 p.m. ET

Army West Point

0-3

North Carolina Central University

3-0

Army West Point

NC Central

Baseball Drops Close One at N.C. Central. 5-4

February 21, 2021 | Baseball

Box Score

DURHAM, N.C. – The Army West Point baseball team had the bases loaded and the game-tying run 90 feet away but were unable to come up with the big hit in the ninth inning, falling to N.C. Central 5-4 in game three of the series on Saturday afternoon at Durham Athletic Park.

The Black Knights (0-3) once again got on the board first, wasting no time taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

However, N.C. Central answered right back in the bottom half of the inning, with DeLeon singling home the game-tying run off Army starting pitcher R. Buecker.

N.C. Central would score in the first four frames, adding one more in the second, two in the third and one more in the fourth inning. Buecker tossed 4.0 innings, allowing five runs (all earned) on nine hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

With the Black Knights trailing 5-1 heading into the fifth inning, the Black Knights got to reliever Hamlet for N.C. Central, touching him up for two runs on two hits, taking advantage of one walk and he only recorded one out before being pulled as Army pulled within two, 5-3.

In the eighth inning, the Black Knights tacked on one more run to pull within one against N.C. Central reliever McRoy. Ledoux delivered the sac fly for the Black Knights in the inning, however two runners were left on base in the inning.

Overall, the Black Knights stranded 11 runners on base, including leaving the bases loaded in the ninth inning as they just couldn't come up with the big hit for the game-tying and potential go-ahead run.

Army reliever Ray Bartoli made his 2021 debut and kept the Black Knights in the game, as they tossed 4.0 scoreless innings, not allowing a hit and walking just one to six strikeouts.

Carter Macias led the Black Knights with two hits on the day along with two walks and two runs scored. Jeremiah Adams tallied one double and one RBI on the day, while Friedrick also had a hit.

The Black Knights will be back in action on Friday, Feb. 26 as they travel to Cary, N.C. to play Austin Peay.