DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University posted four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to move ahead late, and stayed there on the way to a 6-5 win over Youngstown State on Friday, March 6 at the Durham Athletic Park.
 
NCCU (5-9) capitalized on errors in the bottom of the first and took a 2-0 lead, and made that work behind a strong start from Ryan Miller (Blandon, Pa.).  Miller tossed nine strikeouts over 6.1 innings, but YSU (5-6) found a way to break through and push into the lead in the top of the seventh.
 
The Penguins took control of the middle innings, backed by Colin Clark (Circleville, Ohio) who also spun nine strikeouts over 6.1 innings.  With that help, YSU scored four unanswered runs from the fifth to the seventh frame, and sent all nine batters to the plate in the seventh inning to score three runs with aid from an error to take a 5-2 lead. 
 
The Eagles quickly responded by scoring four runs in the bottom of the inning to go back in front, 6-5, and that was helped by a two-RBI single by Luis DeLeon (Providence, R.I.) who pushed his hitting streak onward to 13 games.
 
The Penguins pulled one run back in the top of the eighth, but Brendan Bell (Arlington, Texas) worked the final 1.2 innings to lock down his third save of the year.
 
DeLeon and Trey Maslin (Franklin, N.C.) each had two RBI for the Eagles, and Michael Alicea (Toa-Alta, Puerto Rico) had a game-high tying two hits.
 
Jeff Wehler (St. Mary's, Pa.) also had two hits for the Penguins, and Turner Grau (Pittsburgh, Pa.) drove in two RBI.
 
Game two of the weekend series will be on Saturday, March 7 at 3:00 p.m. at the Durham Athletic Park.  Admission is free.