GREENVILLE, S.C. -- North Carolina Central pushed across a run in the top of the 10th inning to take a 3-2 lead and closed out Furman in its last at bat to take the win in Wednesday afternoon baseball action at Latham Stadium.

The Eagles (8-12-1) trailed 2-0 after eight innings but put the first two batters on in the ninth against Paladin reliever Greg Harrison.  After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, Harrison struck out Bryant Battle for the second out and then got James Dey to hit a fly ball to left center field. Paladin center fielder Heath Burton, however, dropped the ball for an error, allowing both runs to score and tie the game at 2-2.

In the 10th, North Carolina Central got a one-out single off Paladin reliever Anthony Buonopane and then used a throwing error on a failed pickoff attempt to put the runner at third with one out.  Following a walk to Carlos Ortiz, Tyson Simpson beat out a potential inning ending double play with a slide into first base, allowing the go-ahead run to score.

In Furman's last turn at the plate, Cameron Whitehead stroked a one-out single but was stranded when Kyle Shields fanned Alex Abrams for the game's final out.

Furman's ninth inning trouble nullified solid pitching performances by Paladin starter Tyler Wood and relievers Ryan Morse and Jacques de Gruy.

Wood allowed only two hits and struck our four in four innings of work.  Morse tossed two innings of shutout ball, and de Gruy struck out three in two scoreless frames, helping the Paladins take the 2-0 advantage into the ninth.

Furman grabbed a 1-0 lead in the fourth on Carter Grote's first collegiate hit, a solo home run off Eagles'  starter Dyland Beiland that cleared the left field fence.

An inning later Sky Overton executed a bunt single to lead off and later scored on a Harrison sacrifice fly to give the Paladins a 2-0 lead.

The victory went to Shields (1-0), who tossed three innings of scoreless, one-hit relief.

Buonopane (0-1) took the loss.

Overton's 3-for-3 performance at the plate led an eight-hit attack for Furman (8-13), which opens Southern Conference play this weekend on the road at UNC Greensboro.

Williamson and Kory Wood had two hits apiece for North Carolina Central.