NCCU Pull Off Series Sweep Against FAMU

DURHAM NC- The North Carolina Central Eagles pulled off a series sweep against Florida A&M University. The 6-1 win gives NCCU a five-game winning streak, their longest of the season. 

To start, NCCU has dominated FAMU this series with a combined score of 25-6 over the series. NC Central has something to prove, and they brought the same ferocity to this game as they did the past four. 

The scoring started impressively for the Eagles in the bottom of the third with a bomb by Kokko Figueiredo. The homer sailed over the right-field wall. FAMU had only one hit at this point of the game. 

A pitching change by the Rattlers subbed in Josh Barr for Shawn Host in the bottom of the fourth. Host subsequently walked Cameron Norgren, which came back to haunt him. 

With Figueiredo up to bat again, his single gave Norgren the leeway to take home, giving NCCU a slim 2-0 lead heading into the fifth. 

FAMU finally got themselves on the board with LJ Bryant’s homer to right-field in the top of the sixth. The run would be the first and last time they scored in the afternoon.  

The same cannot be said of the Eagles. For NC Central, they snagged a run of their own when it was their turn to bat. Figueiredo hit a single out to center-field with Patrick Doran creeping at second base that brought him in. Figueiredo was thrown out at the second base, but only after the score was marked and counted. NC Central had a 3-1 lead going into the seventh, but it did not stay that way for long. 

In the seventh inning, NCCU added three more runs. Cort Maynard was the first Eagle batted in with a Luis DeLeon’s fly out to right-field. Next was Jordan Varela-Payne. He crossed the home to score off Jacob Raby’s single to the right side of the field. The last Eagle that was a part of the scoring party was Alex Ortiz, who dashed his way into the dugout with a Kobe Phillips’ single. 

Pitcher Shawn Runey tossed a great game, throwing five innings with just three hits and one run scored. NCCU has given enough reason for their program to be continued, and their season is not even yet over.

For the first time since 2016,  NCCU (25-18, 17-11 MEAC) qualified for the MEAC Baseball Championship with their wins Friday, May 24 against FAMU.

The Soaring Eagles will face Delaware State this upcoming Thursday at Marty Miller Field in Norfolk, Virginia.