NORFOLK, Va. – North Carolina Central took both games of Saturday's doubleheader from Norfolk State at Marty L. Miller Field, holding on for a 10-8 win in the opener before Eagle right hander Ryan Miller shut out the Spartans 10-0 in the nightcap.

In game one, strong starting pitching from Austin Vernon and a six-run second inning sent the Eagles (6-3) on their way to the win. Vernon struck out 12 batters over four innings – including four punchouts in a second inning where one runner reached on a third strike passed ball.

Vernon got plenty of support in the second, as the Eagles sent 11 men to the plate and had five hits. Jacob Raby, Cort Maynard and Luis DeLeon all hit run-scoring singles in the inning.

Trailing 7-1, the Spartans (2-7) would make it interesting thanks to a five-run seventh. NSU loaded the bases with one out thanks to a single by Dionte Brown and two walks. Mason Velasquez knocked in a run with a fielder's choice, than Ty Hanchey's two-out single plated another run. The big blow in the inning came when Korey Singh belted a first-pitch fastball on the next at-bat for a three-run homer to right, cutting NSU's deficit to 7-6.

The Eagles answered with two runs in the top of the eighth. Maynard was hit by a pitch and Luis DeLeon walked to start the inning. They scored on a fielder's choice by Tristian Shea and a single by Chet Sikes, respectively.

NSU had one more rally left. Alsander Womack walked and Velasquez doubled to start the ninth. Hanchey scored Womack with a groundout, and Singh's sacrifice fly scored Velasquez. An error and two walks loaded the bases and put the winning run on first, but Eagle reliever Scott Meylan recorded a popout to end it.

Jake Eigner (1-0) earned the win in relief of Vernon. Eigner pitched 2.1 innings in relief, allowing one run and three hits with three strikeouts. Meylan earned the save.

Justin Walton (1-1) was charged with the loss after yielding six runs (four earned) in 1.2 innings. Michael Portela kept NSU in it with 3.1 scoreless innings of relief, allowing one hit and striking out three.

Brown was 2-for-3 off the NSU bench. Womack, who scored three runs, and Velasquez, who scored twice, both went 1-for-3 with a double.

Sikes and Maynard had two hits each for the Eagles.

In game two, Miller (3-0) shut out NSU for the second straight weekend, striking out nine and allowing just four hits without walking a batter in the full seven innings.

The Eagles enjoyed another big second inning. After Alex Wright retired the first two batters, NCCU had five straight runners reach base, four by hits and one on a walk. Raby hit a two-run double and Kokko Figueiredo singled in two more runners.

The Eagles added single runs in both the third and fourth innings, then broke things open with four more in the fifth. DeLeon had a two-run single in the inning.

Three of the Spartans' four hits in the second game were doubles. Brown, Minjae Hong and Danny Hosley all recorded doubles.

Five Eagles had multi-hit games in the second game, led by Tristan Shea's three hits.

Wright (0-2) took the loss after allowing five earned runs with six strikeouts in 3.1 innings. Freshman righty Noah Wiggins struck out a career-best four in 2.1 scoreless innings out of the NSU bullpen.

The teams play the third game of the series at 1 p.m. Sunday at Durham Athletic Park in North Carolina.