DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University senior pitcher Devin Sweet (Greensboro, N.C.) went the distance as he struck out a career-high 12 batters without a walk in a winning effort as the Eagles defeated Savannah State, 3-1 to open the weekend series at the Durham Athletic Park on Saturday, March 24.
 
Sweet threw the first nine-inning complete-game win for NCCU (17-7, 5-2 MEAC) since Sam Fulmer against Florida A&M on March 31, 2012.
 
The opening game of the weekend series with SSU (4-13, 1-3 MEAC) was completed in a brisk two hours and 10 minutes, mainly with the help of a combined 28 strikeouts from both pitching staffs.  Sweet made his first turn through the order unscathed with five strikeouts, while Trevor McKenna (Brooksville, Fla.) recorded all of his first nine putouts by way of the punch out.
 
The Eagles were able to break through in the bottom of the third inning with three runs on RBI singles from Andrew Valichka (Pedricktown, N.J.), Zach Michalski (Belews Creek, N.C.) and Dominic Cuevas (Gurnee, Ill.) all in succession.
 
NCCU was able to make those runs stand up on the back of strong pitching from Sweet who didn't allow a run until the eighth inning on a solo home run from Thomas Harper (York, S.C.).  McKenna had a strong outing as well as he struck out 15 over seven complete innings for the Tigers.
 
At the plate for the Eagles, Jordan Varela-Payne (Rolesville, N.C.) marked another multi-hit outing as he went 2-for-4 in the second start of his career, and Michalski also went 2-for-3 with a walk.
 
The series will finish on Sunday, March 25 with a doubleheader beginning at noon at the Durham Athletic Park.  Admission is free.