GREENSBORO – The North Carolina A&T baseball team blew open a close game on Saturday with nine runs over its final two at-bats to secure a 10-3 win over the Northern Illinois University (NIU) Huskies at War Memorial Stadium.

After NIU scored 10 runs against A&T on Friday in the opener of the three-game series, the Aggies returned the favor on Saturday, producing 13 hits and four extra-base hits along the way. Sophomore Bruce Wyche homered, doubled twice, and recorded six RBIs to even the Aggies record at 1-1.

The Aggies entered the home sixth inning trailing 3-1, but Wyche quickly tied the game with a two-run blast with sophomore Tyler Smith standing at first after a leadoff single. The fun was starting for the Aggies.

In the seventh, junior Marcus Bradshaw hit a one-out double down the left field line and later advanced to third on a wild pitch. After sophomore JT Taylor walked, Smith ripped a single through the right side, scoring Bradshaw to give the Aggies the lead for the first time since the first inning.

NIU decided to turn to right-handed pitcher Ben Kasten to replace Matt Tarr (L, 0-1) on the mound after A&T captured the lead. Kasten gave up an RBI sacrifice fly to Wyche, scoring Taylor from third to give the Aggies a two-run advantage. LHP Josh Loren entered the game after the sac fly and struck out sophomore Savoi Edwards to end the frame. But A&T was far from done.

RHP Nick Bassi walked senior Nick DiCarlo with one out. Graduate Kristian Amaro followed with a single, and sophomore Reginald Tuggle III walked to load the bases. That resulted in Bradshaw hitting a two-run RBI single through the right side to score DiCarlo and Amato to push A&T's lead to 7-3. RHP Tyler Deleskiewicz entered the game to attempt to slow A&T's momentum.

He was unsuccessful. Taylor doubled off Deleskiewicz to score Tuggle. Wyche closed out A&T's five-run eighth inning with a two-out, two-run double to deep center field to score Bradshaw and Taylor, pushing A&T's lead to 10-3. RHP Kobie Cushing (W, 1-0) gave up a two-out walk in the ninth inning but sealed the A&T win by getting Ivan Dahlkber to fly out to right.

Cushing pitched two scoreless innings, striking out. The Aggies bullpen put on stellar performances. RHP Jordan Bright also pitched two scoreless innings, striking out two and leaving the Huskies hitless. RHP Gavin Sentell got the start for A&T, going three innings, giving up two runs and two hits while striking out two.

Bradshaw, Taylor and Smith all had multiple-hit games to add to Wyche's big day. Bradshaw went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs. The rubber game of the series is on Monday at The War. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. Graduate RHP Angel Ortiz will get the start for A&T.