NCCU Eagles Walk Off to Series Win over Iona

DURHAM, North Carolina -- North Carolina Central University was able to withstand a late rally from Iona and come away with a walk off win on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning to take a series win over the Gaels, 6-5 at the Durham Athletic Park.

NCCU (8-3) is now off to its best start in the modern era, and will go for its third-straight weekend series win on Sunday, March 4 against Iona.

Devin Sweet (Greensboro, N.C.) got the call to start the game today, and he turned in a gem with 11 strikeouts over 7.2 innings as he became just the second Eagle to toss over 10 strikeouts in a single game in a career during the modern era. Glenn Frye was the first to accomplish the feat, and he's also the holder of the single-game strikeout record with 13 against Coppin State on April 17, 2011.

The Gaels again scored first on a solo home run, this time in the second inning from Sam Punzi (Eastampton, N.J.), but the Eagles tied the game in the bottom of the frame on a leadoff homer from Mitchell McCrary (Mills Creek, N.C. as he got his fourth round-tripper of the season.

While the Eagles scored in multiples in game one of the series, today it was one run at a time. NCCU took a lead in the third on a throwing error, and then added some insurance in the fifth inning on a solo fly from Carter Williams (Brown Summit, N.C.). Williams came just one double-shy of a cycle as he went 3-for-5 with a triple as well.

NCCU built a 4-1 lead in the seventh inning after an RBI single from Zach Michalski (Belews Creek, N.C.) but from there Iona would come storming back.

The Gaels collected two runs on a long fly in the eighth inning from Seth Hoagland (Waterford, Conn.) to trim the margin to 4-3, but again the Eagles found some breathing room in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI single from Andrew Valichka (Pedricktown, N.J.).

The drama came to a boiling point in the ninth as Iona loaded the bases setting up a two-RBI double from Lou Matarazzo (Rockville Centre, N.Y.). The Gaels sent a third runner to the plate on the hit, but Williams, Valichka and Chris Wright (Hickory, N.C.) teamed up to tag the runner out at the plate.

That allowed NCCU a chance to win in regulation, and the Eagles did so as Corey Joyce (Lexington, N.C.) started the frame with a walk, and then stole second base before being moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from McCrary. Joyce bided his time and took off for home on a wild pitch to give the Eagles a dramatic 6-5 win.

Of note for the Eagles, Joyce doubled in the seventh inning to bring his current hitting streak to six games.

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