Box Score
Box Score:  NCCU at Duke (HTML)

DURHAM, N.C. – Three costly errors and missed opportunities allowed Duke to break open a 3-2 ballgame in the sixth to take down the Eagles of North Carolina Central University 8-3 on Wednesday night at Jack Coombs Field.
 
The mishaps began in the bottom of the first inning as the Eagles failed to turn a double play to allow right fielder Jeff Kremer to advance to second on Spencer Franceschetti’s (Escalon, Calif.) errant throw to first.  The next batter, center fielder Grant McCabe, popped up in foul territory only to be given new life when Luis Diaz (Geneva, N.Y.) dropped the foul ball.  McCabe drove in the game’s first run on the next pitch to make it 1-0.  After third baseman Jordan Betts reached on a fielder’s choice, first baseman Chris Marconcini crushed his third home run of the season to right field to put the Blue Devils up 3-0.
 
NCCU returned the favor in the top of the second inning when junior Ronald Thompson (Chadbourn, N.C.) led off with a double to the wall in right center field to get the Eagle offense going.  Junior designated hitter Carter Williamson (Roanoke, Va.) drove-in RBI No. 22 on the year with a single up the middle to plate the first run for the Eagles making it 3-1.  With one out in the frame, Franceschetti ripped a single to the right side, that unfortunately hit Williamson on the back as he was trying to avoid the line drive, which halted the maroon and gray momentum in the frame.
 
After a scoreless second and third inning, junior Troy Marrow (Lutherville, Md.) reached base on an infield hit and advanced to second on a Betts throwing error, advancing to third on a groundout by Williamson.  Franceschetti’s sacrifice fly made it 3-2 with two outs, but the Eagles could not get another run across despite singles by redshirt sophomore Eric Kimber (Greensboro, N.C.) and James Dey (Charlotte, N.C.), stranding two runners in the top of the fourth.
 
In the fifth and sixth innings, NCCU threatened again but were not able to plate runs and the luck ran out as the Blue Devils scored a run in the sixth, two in both the seventh and eighth to pull away for the 8-3 victory.
 
Jordan Quinn (Goldsboro, N.C.) despite taking his first loss at NCCU put together another gutsy performance on the hill as he went 7.2 innings scattering 12 hits and allowed three earned runs with a walk and two strikeouts.  Quinn is now 5-1 on the year.
 
Duke’s Dalton Brown (1-0) earned his first win of the year going 4.0 innings surrendering 7 hits and two earned runs with three strikeouts.  Reliever Nick Hendrix struck out five batters in just 2.0 innings of work for the Blue Devils.
 
Despite the loss, NCCU (21-15, 9-6 MEAC) got to see the best performance at the plate by Thompson who went 3-for-5 with a double and a stolen base to record his first three-hit game of Eagle career.  Current MEAC Rookie of the Week, Kimber went 2-for-3 with a walk at-the-dish as well.
 
Duke (21-14, 8-7 ACC) was led by Andy Perez’s 4-for-5 effort with a run and an RBI, along with McCabe who was 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI.  
 
The loss drops the maroon and gray to 0-12 all-time against the Blue Devils, and the Eagles have yet to score more than three runs against Duke.
 
Next up for the maroon and gray the Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman University, as the Eagles head to Daytona Beach, Fla. for a huge conference series this weekend at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. Doubleheader action on Saturday, April 13 is set for 1:00 p.m. with the series finale set for on Sunday, April 14 at 1:00 p.m.
 
For more information about NCCU athletics, visit www.NCCUEaglePride.com or download the NCCU Sports Network app available in the App Store, Google Play and Amazon.