EAST GREENSBORO – The North Carolina A&T swept a Sunday baseball doubleheader against N.C. Central inside War Memorial Stadium in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play. The Aggies won Game 1, 8-2. They won Game 2, 3-2 in nine innings. The two games were scheduled for seven innings.

A&T won Game 2 in walk-off fashion. Senior Justin Williams hit the game-winner with a single to left field to score the winning run.  

"Proud of the guys for bouncing back after yesterday," said A&T coach Ben Hall. "I thought we did a much better job of moving the baseball, playing some small ball. That walk-off was just about toughness." 

The Aggies went (7-13, 2-2 MEAC) went 2-2 over the weekend against the rival Eagles (10-8, 2-2 MEAC). In the second game, both teams received stellar relief performances from their respective bullpens. 

After junior Ethan Chavis made his first appearance since Feb. 27, senior Evan Gates, normally a closer, came in during the second inning and shutdown NCCU. Gates began with a walk that scored the Eagles second run credited to Chavis but then went on a tear from there. He went 5.2 innings allowing just three hits with a career-high 11 strikeouts.

"Evan Gates really showed his leadership today," said Hall. "We were down a couple of arms and were going to need him to extend this weekend. It was a special outing."

Sophomore southpaw Peyton Winebarger (W, 1-1) replaced Gates in the visitor's eighth and pitched 2.0 innings with one hit and four strikeouts to pick up the win. The Eagles threatened with runners on first and second in their eighth, but Winebarger fanned Eagle catcher Kobe Phillips to end the frame.

"I'm really thrilled to see Peyton Winebarger step up and give us some quality innings in big situations," said Hall. 

Rodriguez was the lone Aggie to record a multi-hit line in Game 2, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored, including the game-winner. Senior Shane Faulk, senior Ryne Stanley and Williams each had an RBI. The Aggies pitching staff tallied 16 strikeouts.    

A&T got the bats going in the first game of the day. The Aggies smacked nine hits in the game, led by senior shortstop Dustin Baber's 2-for-4 performance that included a team-high three RBI. Baber was one of three players to record a multi-hit game, joined by freshman infielder Trevor Sheehan (2-for-4) and Williams (2-for-3).

Freshman Derek Martinez got the ball in Game 1and notched his best outing of the season thus far, going 4.1 innings and allowing one unearned run on three hits with five strikeouts. It was a clutch performance as the Aggies pitching staff was running thin playing four games over the weekend.

  Senior Leon Davidson (2-0) picked up the win for A&T in relief of Martinez, going 0.2 innings with one run on one hit and a strikeout. 

A&T jumped out to a 4-0 lead after plating two runs each in the third and fourth innings. The Eagles responded with two runs of their own. 

The Aggies carried a 5-2 lead into the home sixth inning. The Aggies picked three big insurance runs in the frame, highlighted by a two-RBI single from Baber. 

Gates logged his second save of the season, shutting down the Eagles 2.0 innings pitched, giving up one hit and striking out three. The Aggies will take the week to rest before heading to Tallahassee, Fla., for a weekend series against FAMU March 26-28.