Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Game One Box Score (HTML)


Game Two Box Score (HTML)


DURHAM, N.C. (www.NCCUEaglePride.com) – The North Carolina Central University baseball team used a season-high at home 14 hits to take game one of the Saturday twinbill, 10-6, against Longwood University, but dropped game two 5-1 leaving 10 runners on base in the loss, splitting the doubleheader against the visiting Lancers at the Durham Athletic Park on Saturday afternoon.
 
Game one saw the Lancers set the tone early with a three run bomb with one out by catcher Scott Burkett giving Longwood the 3-0 in the top of the first frame, but that did nothing to deter the  Eagles who entered the ballgame winners of five-in-a-row.
 
Sophomore shortstop Dylan Drayton (Raleigh, N.C.) led off the bottom of the first with an infield hit that sparked a six-run frame to put NCCU up 6-3.  Luis Diaz followed that off by (Geneva, N.Y.) reaching on a Lancer error which gave sophomore Troy Marrow (Lutherville, Md.) the opportunity to single to right field driving in the first run for the Eagles making it 3-1 in favor of Longwood.  An RBI groundout by Carter Williamson (Roanoke, Va.) brought NCCU to within one at 3-2 and Michael Romano (Spotsylvania, Va.) singled to left field to score two more runs and give the maroon and gray the first lead of the day at 4-3.  Second baseman Tyson Simpson (Burgaw, N.C.) doubled to right centerfield to plate the final two runs of the frame as NCCU scored six runs on four hits and led 6-3 after one.
 
Longwood plated a run in the third on a solo shot by Justin Lacy, and a run in the fourth to make it 6-5, but game one starter for NCCU Sam Fulmer (Raleigh, N.C.) shut the door on the Lancers  ending the threat in the fourth by striking out Lacy on a full count pitch.
 
The Eagles added insurance runs in the seventh and eighth to take a 10-5 lead heading into the ninth, but the most interesting situation came in the bottom of the eighth with two outs and a runner on first, as the Lancers chose to intentionally walk Marrow to face Williamson.  Williamson made LU pay with a single to right field, which was followed up by pinch-hitter Alex Moore’s (Greensboro, N.C.) RBI single to put NCCU up 10-5.
 
Longwood scored just one run in the ninth as NCCU took game one 10-6 and made it six wins-in-a-row.  Sam Fulmer earned the win for the Eagles to move his record to 3-2, tying a career-high with eight strikeouts in the win.
 
Six student-athletes for NCCU recorded at least two hits in game one (Drayton, Diaz, Marrow, Williamson, Romano, and Simpson).  Romano, Simpson, and Williamson all recorded two RBI in the win.
The second game of the day saw junior Glenn Frye (Lillington, N.C.) look equally as impressive on the hill as the Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and held it all the way until the fifth frame.
 
It was the top of the fifth that would be the Eagles undoing as the Lancers scored five runs on five hits but were helped by an NCCU error take a 5-1 lead heading into the late stages of game two, which was slated for seven innings.
 
Despite trailing 5-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth, the maroon and gray certainly had chances to put runs on the board throughout the afternoon that included a bases loaded situation with one out where Drayton hit the ball right back to LU’s Kyler Morgan who then turned a  double play, getting the Lancers out of the jam.
 
NCCU did manage to get the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh and plate two runs on Plummer’s RBI single to cut the deficit to 5-3, but freshman Tyler Murphy came up short with two outs as Longwood earned the 5-3 victory over the Eagles.
 
Despite taking the loss, Frye recorded a season-high 8 strikeouts and allowed only two earned runs while surrendering 10 hits to the Lancers.  Longwood’s Morgan threw a complete game seven innings scattering four hits and allowed just one run with three strikeouts.
 
The maroon and gray left 10 runners on base in game two.  On the day, Simpson led the Eagle offensive attack going 3-for-7 (.429) with a double and two RBI.  Romano also ended the afternoon with a 3-for-8 (.375) effort at-the-dish with a run scored and two RBI.  Plummer led NCCU with three RBI on the day.
 
NCCU (10-23, 6-6 MEAC) looks to take the rubber match of the series on Sunday as game time has been moved up to 12:00 p.m.  The Eagles and Lancers have both won two games apiece in the season series.  Longwood (16-16) owns an 8-2 record against the maroon and gray all-time.
 
The NCCU Sports Network will have wall-to-wall coverage of the series finale between the Eagles and the Lancers.  Play-by-play voice Chris Hooks will go on the air with Eagle Gameday built by Dayeco Construction at 11:45 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.  Fans can also follow the weekend series on twitter by following @NCCUAthletics and by using the #NCCUBaseball hashtag.
 
Stay up-to-date with North Carolina Central University Athletics by flying over to www.NCCUEaglePride.com, the official website of NCCU Athletics.