ELON COLLEGE, NC -- Sophomore Eric Cantrell tossed the first complete game of his career, a one-hit shutout, as Elon College (13-26-1) defeated visiting North Carolina A&T by a 5-0 score on Tuesday afternoon.
Cantrell (4-5) gave up four walks while striking out four Aggie batters. The lone A&T hit in the game came in the fifth inning, when catcher Allen Daniel hit a two-out single down the left field line. Daniel tried to stretch the single into a double, but was thrown out at second base to end the inning.
Elon scored three times in the third inning, benefitting from a pair of Aggie errors. John Schaefer led off the inning with a single, and advanced to second when center fielder Garry Templeton misplayed the ball. Whit Bryant reached base on a walk, and both runners moved up one base on Garth Lanning's sacrifice bunt. Shaun Kopczynski then singled to score Schaefer, and Bryant scored on the same play when Templeton's throw from center sailed into the Elon dugout. Jim Swenson's RBI single later scored Kopczynski, giving the Fightin' Christians a 3-0 lead.
The Fightin' Christians scored twice more in the sixth inning, as Bryant drew a bases-loaded walk to score Brian Kane, and Lanning's fielder's choice scored Chris Papst.
Senior DH Scott Brendle went 1-for-4 in the game with a single, as he remains tied for the school record in career doubles (39), which he currently shares with Mike Deike (1995-98).
Schaefer was 2-for-3 at the plate for the Fightin' Christians, who host 21st-ranked East Carolina on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.
Aggie starter Steve McLeod (1-5) went the distance for A&T, which fell to 6-34. McLeod gave up nine hits and three runs during 8.0 innings, striking out one.
- ELON -
1999 Elon College Baseball North Carolina A&T at Elon College 4/13/99 at Elon College, NC (Newsome Field) North Carolina A&T 0 (6-34) Name (Pos) AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Brian Sheppard 3b......... 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 Jason Battle rf........... 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 Cheron Farley 2b.......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 5 3 Jason Lineberger 1b....... 4 0 0 0 0 1 8 1 Steve McLeod p............ 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Hubert Jones lf........... 2 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 Allen Daniel c............ 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 Michael Elswick ss........ 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 Garry Templeton cf........ 2 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 Totals.................... 25 0 1 0 4 4 24 12 Elon College 5 (13-26-1) Name (Pos) AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Whit Bryant rf............ 2 1 0 1 3 0 2 0 Garth Lanning cf.......... 3 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 Shaun Kopczynski 3b....... 4 1 1 1 0 0 0 3 Jim Swenson 1b............ 4 0 1 1 0 1 16 0 Scott Brendle dh.......... 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Brian Kane ss............. 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 7 Chris Papst lf............ 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 Jason Simmons ph/lf....... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brian Bauder c............ 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 Darren Rainey ph.......... 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 John Gann pr.............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hank Eimer c.............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 John Schaefer 2b.......... 3 1 2 0 0 0 1 1 Guy Robertson ph/2b....... 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Eric Cantrell p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 Totals.................... 33 5 9 4 3 1 27 17 Score by innings: R H E ---------------------------------------------- North Carolina A&T 000 000 000 - 0 1 3 Elon College 003 002 00 - 5 9 1 ---------------------------------------------- E - Sheppard(13), Templeton 2(7), Kopczynski(12). LOB - Aggies 4, F'Christians 8. 2B - Rainey(1). SB - Kopczynski(11). SH - Farley(3), Lanning(6). North Carolina A&T IP H R ER BB SO AB BF Steve McLeod........ 8.0 9 5 4 3 1 33 37 Elon College IP H R ER BB SO AB BF Eric Cantrell....... 9.0 1 0 0 4 4 25 31 Win - Cantrell 4-5. Loss - McLeod 1-5. Save - None. HBP - by Cantrell (Daniel). Umpires - Start: 3:03 Time: 2:07 Attendance: 80 Game Notes: Elon RHP Eric Cantrell throws first complete game of his career. First complete game shutout by an Elon pitcher this season.
