DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University junior Conrad Kovalcik (Detroit, Mich.) hit a towering solo home run early in the game, and drilled a walkoff double deep to centerfield to give the Eagles a 4-3 win over Bethune-Cookman in the 10th inning on Sunday, March 20 at the Durham Athletic Park.

Andrew Vernon (Raleigh, N.C.) got the ball for NCCU (10-11, 3-3 MEAC) in his first career start and retired the first six batters he saw with three strikeouts mixed in.  Vernon ran into a bit of a jam in the third inning, when the first two batters of the inning reached base to break up the no-hit bid.  The runners eventually advanced to second and third, and Vernon turned in three-straight punchouts to tightrope out of danger.

While Vernon kept B-CU (8-12, 2-4 MEAC) off the board, the Eagles put up a few runs in the third on three consecutive hits.  Thomas Prospero (Batavia, N.Y.) picked up an RBI single, and he was brought in on a double by James Dey (Charlotte, N.C.) to give NCCU a 2-0 lead after three frames.

Kovalcik struck for his hit of the day on a long blast that reached the roof of the warehouse in right-center in the bottom of the fourth, and the Eagles took a 3-0 advantage into the fifth inning.

The Wildcats were finally able to reach Vernon for a couple runs on a two-RBI single from Jameel Edney (West Palm Beach, Fla.), but the right hander was able to leave the game with a 3-2 lead after five complete innings.

Vernon unfortunately would be left with a no decision as Rakeem Quinn (Port St. Joe, Fla.) leveled the game on an RBI single in the seventh inning to make the score 3-3.

From that point, it turned into a duel between closers in Justice Sampson (Lumberton, N.C.) for NCCU and Clint Clymer (Ormond Beach, Fla.) for the Wildcats.  Clymer was brought in with two men out in the eighth inning and registered a strikeout against his first batter to keep the game level at 3 going to the ninth.

NCCU got the winning run aboard in the bottom of the ninth after a one-out single from John Ortiz (Fayetteville, N.C.) but a double play pushed the game into extra innings.

Sampson was called in with one out in the seventh inning, and he was able to record a double play against his first batter to exit the inning.  Sampson pitched three and two-thirds of an inning for the Eagles and picked up two strikeouts without allowing a single hit to get NCCU to the bottom of the tenth.

With two outs on the board, Carlos Ortiz (Cleveland, Ohio) stung a single to the outfield, and was moved to second after the next batter got hit.  Kovalcik stepped up and drove a double to the wall over the head of the centerfielder to give the Eagles the dramatic 4-3 win, and allow Sampson to move to 3-0 on the season.

NCCU stays at home to host Campbell University on Tuesday, March 22 at 6:00 p.m. at the Durham Athletic Park, and that game will be carried live on the NCCU Sports Network available at NCCUEaglePride.com.

For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.