CARY, N.C. - North Carolina Central gained its first win over Longwood in the Division I era during a home doubleheader on Wednesday.

Kendal Daniels registered two RBIs to help the Eagles win 8-6 in the first game of a twinbill at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary, N.C. The Eagles lost 13-6 in the second game but it did not overshadow the opening game victory. Prior to Wednesday, NCCU had lost the previous six games against the Lancers including 10-0 and 8-0 last season.

The Eagles are now 6-24 overall as they prepare for two key upcoming MEAC series against Norfolk State and defending champion Howard. Longwood is 15-22 overall.

GAME 1
Keyed by a three-run fourth inning rally, the Eagles overcame a 6-4 deficit to move ahead 7-6, a lead they would not relinquish. The Eagles added an insurance run in the sixth to turn the tables on Longwood.

 Tyler Suttles and Mia De La Fuente each added two runs and an RBI in the first game for the Eagles, who captured the victory despite being outhit 16-7. But NCCU made the most of its hits and 11 walks by Longwood pitchers.

De La Fuente scored the Eagles's first run on a bases-loaded walk that pushed Daiyah Bailey across the plate, one of three runs in the first inning. Suttles scored on a wild pitch and De La Fuente scored on a double by Hannah McGonigle for a 3-0 lead. 

Longwood came back to score two runs in second and four in the third to lead 6-3. The Eagles closed within 6-4 in the third when De La Fuente scored on an error.

The big inning was the fourth which shifted momentum towards the Eagles. Suttles' triple scored Bailey and Daniels' two-run double scored Suttles and Izabella Chavez which put NCCU ahead by one run. The Eagles scored their final run in the sixth inning on Krupey's single that scored McGonigle. 

Bailey matched Suttles and De La Fuente with two runs scored and Simone Mack collected her first pitching victory of the season. Madeline Janssen picked up her first save.

GAME 2
The nightcap started like the first game with the Eagles opening a 4-1 lead in the second inning. But the Lancers took control with a seven-run fourth inning that put them ahead 8-4. They added a run in the fifth and four in the seventh to pad the margin to 13-4 before the Eagles scored twice in the bottom seventh on back-to-back RBI triples by Daniels and McGonigle.

Chavez finished 3 of 4 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored for the Eagles, who totaled nine hits compared to 16 by Longwood. Bailey batted 2 of 4 with two runs scored and De La Fuente was 2 of 4 with an RBI.

NEXT UP
The Eagles return to MEAC play this weekend with a key three-game series at Norfolk State beginning with Saturday's doubleheader at 1:30 p.m. and approximately 3:30 p.m.