Jordan Varela-Payne HR Celebration vs Niagara 2020
Kevin Dorsey
9
Winner Niagara NIA 3-3
6
NC Central NCCUBB 1-7
Winner
Niagara NIA
3-3
9
Final
6
NC Central NCCUBB
1-7
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Niagara NIA 0 3 0 1 0 0 3 1 1 9 12 1
NC Central NCCUBB 2 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 6 10 0

W: Mascellino, Nate (1-0) L: Decker, Ryan (0-1) S: Zapata-Baez, Yohn (2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Niagara Takes High-Powered Series Finale against Eagles

DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University and Niagara combined for five home runs and 12 extra-base hits, and the Eagles led 6-4 heading to the seventh inning, but Niagara scored the last five runs unanswered to win 9-6, and take the series on Sunday, Feb. 23 at the Durham Athletic Park.
 
NCCU (1-6) jumped onto the scoreboard early with two runs in the bottom of the first on an RBI single from Luis DeLeon (Providence, R.I.), and a sacrifice fly from Vinny Bailey (Raleigh, N.C.).  Niagara (3-3) forged ahead in the top of the second with three runs, started by a solo home run by Joseph Tevlin (Toronto, Canada) to take a 3-2 lead.
 
Niagara added one more run in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by Max Giordano (Lancaster, N.Y.) to take a two run lead, but the Eagles pulled that run right back on a solo homer to dead centerfield by Kobe Phillips (Charlotte, N.C.) to make the score 4-3 in favor of Niagara after four frames.
 
NCCU found its breakthrough in the bottom of the sixth with three runs, all scored with two outs.  Bryceson Hernandez (Cary, N.C.) started the rally with a double, and then Cameron Norgren (Cary, N.C.) drove him in with a double of his own.  After that, Jordan Varela-Payne (Raleigh, N.C.) boosted the Eagles in front with a two-run homer to left field for his first career home run, giving the hosts a 6-4 lead.
 
Niagara flipped the game right back in its favor in the next half inning, as it scored three runs with help from an RBI double from Giordano to put Niagara ahead, 7-6.  Niagara then added runs in the eighth and ninth frames, both on solo home runs from Dawson Bailey (Porter, N.Y.) and Benny Serrano (Towanda, N.Y.) to give Niagara a 9-6 win.
 
Varela-Payne picked up two hits along with those two RBI for the Eagles, and both Phillips and Bailey also recorded a pair of hits.  DeLeon collected his fourth double of the season, and he has now picked up five extra-base hits in his last five games.  Alex Sniffen (Wilmington, N.C.) had a strong showing from the bullpen in relief, as he tossed a career-high six strikeouts without a walk over 4.2 innings.
 
Giordano had a game-best three RBI with two hits for Niagara, and Bailey followed with two hits and two RBI. 
 
NCCU heads back on the road on Tuesday, Feb. 25 to visit High Point, and will return home on Wednesday, Feb. 24 to host Presbyterian at 6:00 p.m. at the Durham Athletic Park.
 
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