GREENSBORO, N.C. – North Carolina Central University sophomore Ryan Miller (Blandon, Pa.) threw a near no-hitter in the first game of the day, and then sent the offense into overdrive in the second game as the Eagles swept a doubleheader with North Carolina A&T, 5-2 and 11-2, on Saturday, May 1 at War Memorial Stadium.
 
GAME ONE: NCCU (18-16, 10-9 MEAC) burst onto the scoreboard in the top of the second inning when it batted around and scored four runs.  The Eagles did so without a hit, however, as it scored all of their runs in the frame on walks and errors.  Chet Sikes (Trinity, N.C.) started a string of four consecutive run-scoring plate appearances with a bases loaded walk, and Nick Fajardo (Durham, N.C.) and Kokko Figueiredo (Fortuna, Calif.) did the same after a run scored on an error to put the Eagles in front, 4-0.
 
The score would remain frozen there for the majority of the contest as both Miller and Derek Martinez (Greensboro, N.C.) turned in impressive performances on the mound.
 
The first hit of the game didn't occur until the top of the seventh inning when Figueiredo hit a one-out single into right field.  Fajardo came in to score during the inning on a wild pitch, to put the Eagles in front 5-0, and give them some breathing room heading to the bottom of the frame.
 
Miller was able to take his no-hitter all the way to the seventh inning, but Camden Williamson (Greensboro, N.C.) finally broke it up on a leadoff single.  NCAT (16-29, 11-12 MEAC) was able to build on that momentum and picked up a total of three hits in the frame, and scored a pair on a pinch-hit RBI double by Xavier Bussey (Garner, N.C.) and an RBI groundout by Ryne Stanley (High Point, N.C.) to move the score to 5-2.  The Eagles didn't allow the Aggies to advance any further, and leveled the series at one game apiece.
 
Miller finished the game with eight strikeouts and just one hit in six innings of work, and improved to 8-0 on the season.
 
GAME TWO: The Eagles got going early on offense in the second game as Fajardo ripped a leadoff double to start the contest in the first.  He advanced to third on a wild pitch and then touched home on a sacrifice fly by Figueiredo to put NCCU in front, 1-0.
 
The Aggies tied the game on an RBI single by Stanley in the bottom of the second, but the Eagles responded with two runs in the top of the third to regain the lead.  Luis DeLeon (Providence, R.I.) hit an RBI double deep to left center, and then hustled home to score on an RBI single by Jacob Raby (Granite Falls, N.C.) to give the Eagles a 3-2 lead.
 
NCCU then broke out for three runs in the top of the fourth with help from a two-RBI double by Fajardo that bounced to the right-center fence, and he touched home after an RBI single by Figueiredo to give the Eagles a 6-2 advantage.
 
The Eagles hung another crooked number on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth as it scored four runs to push the lead to eight at 10-2.  Cort Maynard (Charlotte, N.C.) started the frame with a leadoff triple, and then touched the dish after a sacrifice fly by Cameron Norgren (Cary, N.C.).  NCCU went on to score three more on three consecutive RBI singles by DeLeon, Raby, and Tristan Shea (Charlotte, N.C.).
 
Norgren finished the scoring for the day with a solo home run out to right center in the top of the seventh, and that brought game to its final score of 11-2.
 
The final game of the series will be on Sunday, May 2 at 1:00 p.m. at War Memorial Stadium, and the game will be broadcast live on the NCCU Sports Network.