Box Score
Box Score:  Campbell at NCCU


DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University baseball team returned to the comforts of home on Tuesday night against in-state foe Campbell using timely hitting and great pitching to get back on track in a 5-1 upset victory over the Camels at the Durham Athletic Park.
 
Entering the contest, CU was receiving votes in a number of national poles sitting at 31-7 on the year and were ranked No. 25 in the nation in the Baseball America Top 25 last week, but the Eagles struck first blood in the bottom of the first inning.
 
With two outs senior Luis Diaz (Geneva, N.Y.) reached base via a walk and after stealing second was driven home by junior Ronald Thompson (Chadbourn, N.C.) who ripped an RBI single to right field to put the Eagles on the board at 1-0.
 
After a wild pitch moved Thompson to second base, junior Troy Marrow (Lutherville, Md.) singled to left field to put the maroon and gray up 2-0 after one complete.
 
Tuesday night starter Ruben Rios (Fortuna, Calif.) was sharp from the get-go recording three strikeouts through the first two innings and forcing the visiting Camels to strand three runners in the first two frames.
 
Campbell left five runners on base through the first three frames, but finally got a two out rally going in the top of the fourth when Clayton Brown crushed a double to left center field scoring teammate Jesse Simmons to cut the margin to 2-1.
 
NCCU added another run on the board in the sixth with yet another two out rally as Marrow hit double no. 24 in his career down the left field line to put a runner in scoring position in the frame.  He is now tied with former Eagle Kurt Wilson (2007-10) for No. 1 in the modern era of the program in doubles.  Junior second baseman Spencer Franceschetti put the maroon and gray up 3-1 on his single to right center field to record RBI No. 18 on the year.
 
The final two runs of the game came in the bottom of the seventh inning when Robert Hiatt (Wilmington, N.C.) and Akeem Hood (Raleigh, N.C.) reached base on one out walks.  Zack Lee (Wilson, N.C.) singled to right field to load the bases and Hiatt later scored on a David Olson wild pitch to put NCCU up 4-1, and the frame’s final run came on Marrow’s RBI infield single scoring Hood giving the Eagles a 5-1 advantage.
 
Junior Jacob Russell (Winston-Salem, N.C.) pitched the final two innings facing only six batters to keep the four run lead intact as the maroon and gray won the game 5-1.
 
Rios (3-0) earned the win going 5.0 innings giving up just one run on five hits with three strikeouts and only two walks.
 
Freshman Andrew Vernon (Raleigh, N.C.) also threw two solid innings in-relief keeping the Eagles’ upset hopes alive, allowing only one hit.
 
Through the last four innings, the maroon and gray bullpen limited the volatile Campbell lineup to just one hit to hold on for the huge win.
 
Leading the maroon and gray offensively, Marrow recorded three hits for the third time this season, going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI in the win.
 
All totaled, the Camels left 10 runners stranded in the loss that ended the nation’s third longest road winning streak at eight games.
 
Prior to Tuesday, NCCU (23-17, 10-8 MEAC) had never beat CU at home and looks to make it two-in-a-row as the Eagles take on High Point University for the first time in the modern era of the program.  First pitch at Willard Stadium is set for 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17.
 
For more information about NCCU athletics, visit www.NCCUEaglePride.com or download the NCCU Sports Network app available in the App Store, Google Play and Amazon.