 "Photo: Aaron Saunders/Echo sports assitant editor")
The N.C. Central University baseball team's strong offensive efforts were not enough to match University of Buffalo's (4-11) Tom Murphy's three home runs as they fell short in the latter innings 11-6.
With strong hitting and flawless defensive effort, the Eagles pound out 11 hits and commit no errors.
However the effort was thwarted by poor pitching, which has been the Achilles heel for the Eagles so far this season. The Bulls hit five home runs total, three of which came from Murphy's bat in innings five, six and eight.
"He won't get any more home runs the rest of the series. I promise you that," said Head Coach Henry White.
The Eagles kept the game close by answering the Bulls whenever they scored, with big hits from freshmen third baseman Troy Marrow and designated hitter Carter Williamson, who combined for five hits and three RBIs.
The Eagles soon met their doom when Murphy hit his second home run of the day in the 6th inning, ushering in a three-run inning and putting the game out of reach.
The Eagles offense was only able to manufacture one run the final three innings.
While the offense was impressive, White believes there is always room for improvement.
"We got to score runs, There were too many runners left on base," he said.
The Eagles, led by Junior Centerfielder Akeem Hood, who went 3 for 5 with two doubles.
"I was really seeing the ball well. I was being patient and waiting on the right pitch," said Hood.
Hood has 24 hits on the season and is batting .369 with five stolen bases; he recognizes that the team has talent.
Overall the team is hitting .295 this season, a dramatic improvement over last season, which saw the Eagles hit .251.
"We're playing good ball — we have to have that swagger and desire to want to win."
Hood says the future looks bright for him and his teammates. "We have talent. We'll get there," said Hood. According to White, the team's hitting and fielding are getting better every game. The only problem is pitching.
"We're only getting done two out of three phases right." While the Eagles are only 1-19, they have improved as the season has progressed.
"It was one of our better performances. They're playing hard out there every game and that's all I can ask for," said White.
is a member of the 
Be the first to comment on this article! Log in to Comment
You must be logged in to comment on an article. Not already a member? Register now