PEMBROKE – UNCP rallied for a trio of runs with two outs in the first inning to take a lead it would not relinquish as the 17th-ranked Braves rode a trio of arms to an 8-2 win over visiting Chowan in the front half of a doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon at Sammy Cox Field.

The victory marked the ninth-straight victory for the Braves (8-0) dating back to last season, as well as the 11th home win in the last 12 tries for the Black & Gold as well. The setback dropped Chowan (2-8) to 0-3 in series openers in 2013.

Newcomer Brett Huffman scored three times and clubbed his first home run of the season just inside the left field foul post to highlight a perfect 4-for-4 day at the plate and pace a trio of Braves with mult-hit outings. Daniel Fraga (2-for-5, RBI) and Max Gagnon (2-for-4, RBI) each doubled on two-hit outings for the hosts.

Chowan got 2-for-4 outings from four different players, including Drew Mason who logged the only RBI for the visitors.

Elizabethtown native Jimmie Davis (2-0) picked up the win in a pre-determined pitching rotation after striking out four and allowing two runs (one earned) in four innings of work, while fellow newcomer Robert McKinney struck out three and yielded two hits across four innings of relief work but did not get a decision. Closer Aaron Spano struck out one and allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth inning.

Starter George Mazza (0-3) saddled the loss for the Hawks after surrendering eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits and a pair of walks in 5-1/3 innings from the bump. He also struck out three.

Despite seeing its first two batters of the game go down relatively quietly, UNCP strung together a two-out rally in the first. The Braves scored their first run of the game on Huffman's run-scoring single up the middle, and then pushed their advantage out to 3-0 on a two-run single through the left side by Drew Alford (1-for-3, HBP).

Chowan cut into a 4-0 deficit with a lone run in the third, but the Braves answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame, and then added an insurance score in the fourth and two more in the sixth.