GREENSBORO, N.C. – North Carolina Central University had its rally cut short in game one, but turned the tables and shut down North Carolina A&T late in the second game to split a doubleheader by identical scores of 6-4 on Sunday, April 14 at War Memorial Stadium.
 
GAME ONE:
 
NCAT (19-16, 9-5 MEAC) opened the scoring for the day as it plated three in the bottom of the second inning after RBI hits from Ryne Stanley (High Point, N.C.) and Tony Mack (Smithfield, N.C.) and an error to take a 3-0 lead.  NCCU (15-19, 7-7 MEAC) got into the run column in the top of the third on a sacrifice fly from Trey Maslin (Franklin, N.C.) but the Aggies tacked on runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth to stretch the lead to 5-1, heading to the sixth.
 
Josh Brammell (Harrison City, Pa.) drove in a run in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice fly, and then doubled home a run in the eighth as the Eagles scored a pair to cut the lead to one, 5-4.  After three unanswered runs, NCAT got a little breathing room in the bottom of the eighth after an RBI single from Dustin Baber (Babson Park, Fla.) to give the Aggies a two-run advantage heading to the final frame.
 
The Eagles were able to bring the tying run to the plate, but Leon Hunter (Garner, N.C.) fought through the lineup to pick up his fifth save of the season.
 
GAME TWO:
 
NCCU put itself on the board first in the second game after Vinny Bailey (Raleigh, N.C.) and Myles Coston (Pittsburg, Calif.) had back-to-back run producing at bats to send the Eagles ahead 2-0 in the second inning.  The Eagles went on to expand the lead with two more runs in the fourth on an error and an RBI from Timmy Fischvogt (Kernersville, N.C.) to send the maroon and gray in front, 4-0.
 
The Aggies pulled one run back in the bottom of the fourth but NCCU padded the lead with two more runs in the top of the fifth with RBIs from Corey Joyce (Lexington, N.C.) and Maslin to take a 6-1 lead at the midway point.
 
NCAT made the game interesting in the bottom of the fifth as it knocked in three runs on a two-RBI single from Donte Wade (Gaffney, S.C.) and an RBI double from Baber to trim the lead to two at 6-4, but the Eagle bullpen took care of business from that point on to close the game.
 
Chris Kernen (Greensboro, N.C.) fired a spotless final 1.2 innings with a strikeout to earn his first save of the year, and the third of his career to help the Eagles get the twin bill split.
 
Brammell led the Eagles at the plate with three hits – all doubles – and three RBI, and he touched home three times as well.  Fischvogt and Maslin both also had three hits, and Maslin drove in two RBI to increase his team-leading total to 29.  Ryan Miller (Blandon, Pa.) fired five strikeouts over seven innings as he earned his fifth win of the year.
 
Stanley collected four hits on the day for the Aggies, and reached home three times with an RBI.
 
NCCU is back at home on Tuesday, April 16 against Longwood at 6:00 p.m. at the Durham Athletic Park to start a four-game home stand that includes the weekend MEAC Southern Division series with Bethune-Cookman that will begin on Thursday, April 18 at 6:00 p.m. as well at the Durham Athletic Park.  Admission for those games is free.