APEX, N.C. – With two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning and North Carolina Central University trailing by two runs, senior Emerie Germ stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter and bombed a three-run, game-winning home run, as the Lady Eagles rallied from a five-run deficit to defeat Delaware State 12-11 on Saturday evening at Middle Creek Park.
 
Delaware State posted three runs in the top of the sixth for a commanding 11-6 advantage.
 
However, the determined Lady Eagles, riding the momentum from NCCU's first win over an ACC opponent just a few hours earlier (5-4 over Virginia), refused to lose. With two outs, Kayleigh Brueck doubled home Jenny Tracy and Casey Hargett, then pinch hitter Dominique Wilson drove in Brianna Hampton to set up Germ's heroic blast.
 
In the top of the seventh and final inning, Delaware State sophomore Danielle Velez crushed an apparent game-tying home run over the centerfield fence. But following the Lady Hornets' celebration, NCCU head coach Theresa Stephens strolled to the home plate for a chat with the umpire, who then called together the rest of his crew. After more than five minutes of deliberation and flipping through the pages of the rule book, in a scene reminiscent of George Brett's pine tar incident, Velez was called out and the game-tying run was removed from the scoreboard. Why? Stephens pointed out that on the line-up card submitted by Delaware State prior to the game, Velez was listed as wearing jersey number 23. However, she was actually wearing jersey number 12.
 
Devastated by the gaffe, the next two batters for Delaware State grounded out to third base to end the game.
 
Brueck finished the game with five RBI on a double and a three-run home run in the first inning, while scoring three times for NCCU (2-2). Tracy posted three hits and scored twice for the Lady Eagles.
 
London Booker earned the win in relief, allowing just three hits with three strikeouts in 4.2 innings in the circle.