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DURHAM, N.C.  – Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth, North Carolina Central University scored five unanswered runs the rest of the way as the Eagles took game three from Bethune-Cookman 5-3 on Sunday, April 13 at the Durham Athletic Park to salvage a game in the series and stay in the race for first in the MEAC's (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Southern Division.
 
The win puts NCCU at 10-7 overall in conference play, just a half-game behind B-CU, still tied with Florida A&M for second in the South as the Rattlers beat Savannah State 9-8 to win that series and move their record to 10-7 in league action as well.
 
The Wildcats scored the game's first runs on a one out two-RBI single by shortstop Shaun McCarty in the top of the second inning, and made it 3-0 on a passed ball that scored Bryant Munoz in the top of the third.
 
Sunday starter for B-CU, Gabriel Hernandez was cruising through the Eagle lineup allowing just two hits through the first five innings of work.  The tables turned in the sixth as the cardiac Eagles awoke.
 
Senior Zack Lee (Wilson, N.C.) led off the frame with a single, followed by freshman Carlos Ortiz's (Cleveland, Ohio) two run home run over the right centerfield wall to make it 3-2.  The maroon and gray chased Hernandez from the game and loaded the bases in the sixth, but could not plate another run in the frame.
 
After getting the bases loaded again in the seventh, the maroon and gray struck again in the eighth.  Back-to-back walks to Christian Triplett (Wilkesboro, N.C.) and James Dey (Charlotte, N.C.) put a runner in scoring position. With one out and the runners on first and second, redshirt junior Eric Kimber (Greensboro, N.C.) laced a hard grounder to left field to tie the game at 3-3 as pinch runner Jacobi Harris (Pittsboro, N.C.) slid home safely.  After Dey scored on a wild pitch to give the Eagles the 4-3 lead, Lee came back up to the plate and drove in the final run of the game on a sacrifice fly to centerfield.
 
Sophomore hurler Andrew Vernon (Raleigh, N.C.) came on in-relief and earned his fourth save of the year, while senior righty Jacob Russell (Winston-Salem, N.C.) got the win with his solid 1.1 innings of work to move to 3-4 on the year.
 
Despite not factoring in the decision, sophomore starter Alex Dandridge put up one his best outings of the year going 6.2 innings with two earned runs along with just six hits and four strikeouts.  Dandridge shut the Wildcats down after the third inning surrendering no runs in three hits after B-CU took the early lead.
 
The first two batters in the Eagle lineup Lee (2-for-4, one run, one RBI) and Ortiz (3-for-4, a home run, two RBI, and a run scored) led the NCCU attack in the win.  In fact, Ortiz batted .500 over the weekend (6-for-12) at-the-plate with a home run, a double, a run scored, and four RBI.
 
NCCU (15-21-1, 10-7 MEAC) returns to the diamond for a midweek rematch against crosstown foe Duke on Wednesday night, April 16 at 6:00 at the Durham Athletic Park.
 
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