Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
DURHAM, N.C. - The late innings told the story of both games of the doubleheader as the North Carolina Central University baseball team took a split with New Jersey Institute of Technology on Saturday, March 5.
 
NCCU (6-5) hit the board first in game one with an RBI single from Tom Prospero (Batavia, N.Y.) and a fielder's choice for Jacobi Harris (Pittsboro, N.C.) in the bottom of the second, but NJIT (3-6) struck for four runs in the top of the fourth sparked by a two-RBI double from Cody Kramer (Northampton, Pa.) to go ahead 4-2.
 
Down 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh, the Eagles made things interesting late with a homer to center field from Christian Triplett (Wilkesboro, N.C.).  NCCU would get runners on the corners, but couldn't get them home.  Ellington Hopkins (Lansing, N.Y.) drove another solo shot to right field in the bottom of the ninth to make the score 5-4, but Tommy Derer (Philadelphia, Pa.) battled through to get the save by going a total of eight outs.
 
Game two appeared it was going to belong to the Highlanders as well as they jumped ahead 3-0 after the first frame, with Stephan Halibej (Whippany, N.J.) cashing in with a two-RBI double.  NJIT added another run in the top of the third, but a wild play in the bottom of the inning allowed NCCU to close the gap.  Prospero knocked a triple to left center to drive in a run, and was able to score himself on a throwing error by the shortstop to move the scoreboard to 4-2.
 
The Eagles kept the momentum rolling in the bottom of the fourth with three runs to go ahead 5-4 on a two-RBI single from Carlos Ortiz (Cleveland, Ohio).  With the second game of the doubleheader only scheduled to go seven innings, NCCU was in line for the win but NJIT stayed alive on a tying RBI single from Evan Pietronico (Matawan, N.J.).
 
Jamar Hinton (Petersburg, Va.) took over for extra-inning duty for NCCU and pitched a spotless eighth inning with a strikeout to give the Eagles the opportunity to win.  Hopkins led off the bottom of the eighth with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch with the next batter.  Hopkins would go on to become the winning run after a fielding error by the NJIT second baseman allowed the ball to roll into right field.
 
The Eagles will look to take the series against NJIT tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m. at the Durham Athletic Park.  The game will be carried live on the NCCU Sports Network available at NCCUEaglePride.com along with live stats, and game updates will be available on the official Twitter account of NCCU Athletics, @NCCUAthletics.