DURHAM, N.C. – Senior third baseman Ellington Hopkins was a perfect 4-for-4 from the plate with a home run in a 10-7 victory to lead the North Carolina Central University baseball team to a split in its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Southern Division opener against North Carolina A&T State University. The Aggies scored twice in the ninth to take the first game of Friday's doubleheader at the Durham Athletic Park by a 8-6 margin
 
The two in-state rivals will play the rubber game on Saturday at 1 p.m. Admission is free into the Durham Athletic Park.
 
GAME ONE: North Carolina A&T 8, N.C. Central 6
 
The Aggies broke a 6-6 deadlock in the top of the ninth by putting their first five batters on base with four hits and a walk. Junior Adan Ordonez provided the knockout blow in the frame with a two-run double in the right field gap.
 
NCCU trailed 6-2 before knotting the score with four runs in the sixth. Freshman second baseman Corey Joyce, who hit his fourth home run of the season in the first to start the Eagles scoring, added a sac fly in the sixth. He scored twice in the game and classmate Jake Raby matched him by crossing home twice.
 
The Aggies constructed their early advantage with the aid of three NCCU errors that led to three unearned runs off junior starter Devin Sweet. Freshman reliever Jeff Hagan (0-1) tossed three shutout innings as the Eagles rallied, but he was responsible for the first run that scored in the ninth to be tagged with the loss.
 
North Carolina A&T outhit the hosts, 13-7, with eight of its nine starters hitting safely.
 
NCCU drew 10 walks in the contest, but only two of those bases on balls scored as the Eagles stranded 11 runners.
 
GAME TWO: N.C. Central 10, North Carolina A&T 7
 
Hopkins drilled a hot-shot liner over the right field fence for his first home run of the season and he scored three times as the Eagles salvaged the nightcap. NCCU built up a 9-3 advantage and then used five relievers to keep the lead as the Aggies attempted to rally late.
 
Junior reliever Justice Sampson, who entered the day 4-0 in just 7 1/3 innings of work, hurled a 1-2-3 ninth inning with the help of a double play to chalk up his first save. Senior southpaw Landon Fraley (2-0) went the minimum four innings needed in a scheduled seven-inning affair and was the benefactor of a hot offense to be credited with his second win despite allowing six earned runs on seven hits and five walks.
 
Seven different Eagles had hits with senior Conrad Kovalcik being the only other NCCU batter with more than one. After a sacrifice fly in the first, Kovalcik drove his second run with a single in the third. He added his second single in the fourth to finish 2-for-3.
 
Joyce scored two times while Raby, junior Zach Michalski and sophomore Mitchell McCrary all drove in a run for the Eagles.
 
North Carolina A&T committed six errors, which led to four unearned runs for NCCU.