Box Score DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University walked off in the bottom of the 10th in Saturday's opener of a three-game series with Savannah State, and the Tigers extracted their revenge by winning 3-2 in 10 innings on Sunday, April 19 at the Durham Athletic Park.

The loss dropped the Eagles a half-game out of first place behind Bethune-Cookman in the MEAC Southern Division, setting the stage for a close finish during NCCU's final conference series in Boston against Florida A&M on April 24-25.

SSU (16-23, 9-9 MEAC) jumped into the lead in the top of the second when Zachary Brigham (Canton, Ga.) and Harrison Moore (Stone Mountain, Ga.) started the inning with back-to-back singles before being bunted over on a sacrifice.  Brian Miller (Thomasville, Ga.) lined a bases clearing triple to left field to put the Tigers in front 2-0.

NCCU (19-20, 12-8 MEAC) got going in the fourth inning when Mitchell McCrary (Mills Creek, N.C.) led off with a single before Carlos Ortiz (Cleveland, Ohio) drilled a two-run shot to right-center to level the score at 2-2.

The Tigers threatened to take the lead back in the sixth inning after a pair of two-out singles, but Eagle starter Devin Sweet (Greensboro, N.C.) was able to get a grounder out of the next batter to escape the jam.

Sweet would see more trouble in the seventh inning after allowing the first two batters to reach before they were moved over on a sacrifice bunt.  He struck out the next batter for the second out of the inning, his 40th strikeout of the year which places him 10th all-time in single season records.

The next batter walked, however, and that opened the door for Andrew Vernon (Raleigh, N.C.) who got the next man to pop out to the second baseman on two pitches to keep the Eagles square with SSU at 2-2.

SSU starter Zach McCormack (Marietta, Ga.) was able to stay in the game, and actually went nine complete innings for the Tigers, allowing five hits and two runs (both earned) while walking two and fanning six at the plate.

Vernon did his best to keep the Eagles in the contest, pitching three and one-third of an inning, carrying NCCU into the 10th inning cutting down three batters during his stint.  He ran into trouble in the top of the 10th where he hit the first batter and allowed a one-out single to put runners on the corners.

Jonathan Moore (Cairo, Ga.) came to the plate with two outs and hit a weak groundball up the middle, but it bounced off Vernon's foot for an infield single that allowed the go-ahead run to come home, moving SSU back into the lead 3-2.

The Eagles picked up a two-out single in the bottom of the 10th, but that was it as Rex Davis (Evans, Ga.) entered from the Tiger bullpen to pick up his second save of the year.

NCCU will again travel during the midweek as they explore the western part of the state against UNC Asheville on Tuesday, April 21 and also make up a postponed game against High Point on Wednesday, April 22.

The Eagles return to conference play during the weekend as they travel to Boston to face FAMU at Jim Rice Field on Friday, April 24 and finish the series at Fenway Park on Saturday, April 25.