NORFOLK, Va. – North Carolina Central University scored nine runs in the first two innings on the way to a 20-7 win at Marty Miller Field on Tuesday, March 28.
 
NCCU (19-8) has now won seven of its last nine games, and scored more than 15 runs for the third time this season.  20 runs is the second-most runs the Eagles have scored this year, and 19 hits is the second-highest tally as well.
 
The Eagles picked up three runs in the first inning with help from an RBI double from Jordan Varela-Payne (Rolesville, N.C.) before he sparked the six-run second inning with a two-RBI double to total a career-high three RBI in the contest.  NCCU sent 11 men to the plate on four hits and one error to take a 9-0 lead in the early stages.
 
NCCU had a couple big innings left in them for the rest of the game as the Eagles scored five in the top of the fifth to take a 14-1 lead.  Carter Williams (Brown Summit, N.C.) knocked his league-leading fourth triple of the year to clear the bases and drive in three runs to cap the inning.
 
NSU (7-15) packed in four runs of its own in the bottom of the sixth for what turned into a nine-run frame between the two squads.  Justin Burrell (Newport News, Va.) collected a two-run double to help the Spartans cut into the deficit.
 
The Eagles batted around again in the top of the ninth inning to score an additional five runs to reach the 20-run mark.  Drake Murray (Roswell, Ga.) hit a two-run double, and Williams also added a two-run double for his fifth RBI of the game.
 
Varela-Payne had a three-hit afternoon, and Chris Wright (Hickory, N.C.) went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI.
 
The Eagles will next travel to Florida A&M for a MEAC Southern Division series that will begin on Friday, March 30.