BOONE, N.C. – North Carolina Central University scored two runs with two outs in the top of the ninth to come back from a 5-3 deficit for a 7-6 win at Appalachian State on Tuesday, April 17 at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
 
NCCU (22-18) scored first as Zach Michalski (Belews Creek, N.C.) drove in Corey Joyce (Lexington, N.C.) after a stolen base to take a 1-0 lead, but App State (8-27) flipped the game on a first-inning grand slam to take a 4-1 advantage.
 
The Eagles trimmed the lead with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth as Evan Holland (Erial, N.J.) knocked an RBI double and Carter Williams (Brown Summit, N.C.) picked up a sacrifice fly to close the gap to 4-3.
 
The Mountaineers held a 5-3 lead into the seventh, but that dissipated after a bases-loaded two-out two-RBI single from Mitchell McCrary (Mills Creek, N.C.) leveled the game.  App State regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single to make the score 6-5, heading to the final frame.
 
The Eagles once again dug deep to get clutch hits, as Andrew Valichka (Pedricktown, N.J.) tied the game on an RBI single.  Valcihka came in to score on a two-out error that turned out to be the winning run for NCCU.
 
Justice Sampson (Lumberton, N.C.) was called from the bullpen for the bottom of the ninth and struck out the final batter to record saves in back-to-back games, and his fourth of the season to tie his career season-high.
 
The Eagles return to MEAC Southern Division play on Saturday, April 21 as they start a three-game weekend series with Bethune-Cookman.