DURHAM, N.C. – Luis DeLeon and Carter Williams continued to swing hot bats for North Carolina Central University, but the Eagles committed seven errors that led to 10 unearned runs in a 12-7 loss to Saint Joseph's University on Saturday inside the Durham Athletic Park.
 
DeLeon, a junior designated hitter out of Providence, Rhode Island, drove in three runs on a pair of hits, including a two-run home run, his fourth round-tripper of the season. Through 12 games, the Central Alabama Community College transfer owns a .452 batting average and a slugging percentage of .833., along with a team-high 16 RBI.
 
Williams, who is batting .500 in his first four games since joining the lineup, posted three hits with a double and two RBI. The senior out of Greensboro now has 204 career hits as NCCU's leader in the modern era.
 
NCCU senior outfielder Jacob Raby contributed three hits, including a triple, to help the Eagles outhit Saint Joseph's 12-9, but seven errors doomed the Eagles.
 
Thanks to DeLeon's two-run bomb to left field and an RBI single by Nick Fajardo, NCCU (3-9) enjoyed a 3-0 advantage after two innings.
 
However, the visiting Hawks rallied to outscore the Eagles 12-3 in the next six frames. Saint Joseph's (5-4) first eight runs were all unearned.
 
Sophomore third baseman Nate Thomas topped the Hawks with three hits and four RBI, while sophomore first baseman Luke Zimmerman collected four RBI on two hits, including a two-run homer.
 
Saint Joseph's sophomore reliever Mike Falco allowed just one hit with three strikeouts in 2.1 innings to secure the win.
 
Six NCCU pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts, including five by starter Alex Sniffen and four by Caleb McRoy. Senior Ryan Decker pitched just two-thirds of an inning in relief, allowing one run, but took the loss for the Eagles.
 
The weekend series concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. inside Durham Athletic Park. Admission is free.