GREENSBORO - It is only fitting that a senior class with so many key transformative figures essential to the recent success of North Carolina A&T softball would have a Senior Day that kept A&T in first place.
Head coach Mamie Jones and the Aggie family honored seven seniors on Saturday who have record-breaking performances, significant academic achievements and more wins than any other four-year class in the history of fastpitch softball at A&T .
Seniors Yahamma White, Sasha Philpot, Britney Reddick, Channing Statham, Jessie Larson, Lillian Bullock and Bianca Alsobrook continued their winning ways by helping the Aggies defeat Norfolk State 3-1 and 7-2 in doubleheader action at the Lady Aggies Softball Complex.
The Aggies (24-22) won their sixth straight game. They improve to 7-1 in the MEAC to hold on to first place in the MEAC's Southern Division.
Philpot handled things in the first game. Philpot (11-11), who is one win away from her 50th career win, pitched seven innings, struck out three and gave up seven hits. Freshman Hope Fletcher aided the Aggies offense by going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Ryanne Hill scored twice.
The Aggies got on the board in the third when Larson singled to right field to score Fletcher. Freshman Kellie Aponte drove in another run in the fourth with a single to left that scored Hill. A bases loaded walk to White in the sixth accounted for the Aggies other run.
Norfolk State broke up Philpot's shutout in the seventh. Gipsey Ramirez's sacrifice fly to right allowed Brianeisha Eure to score. The run was significant because it broke up the Aggies' 32 inning scoreless streak. The last time the Aggies gave up a run before Saturday's seventh inning was on April 22 against UNC Greensboro.
In Game 2, seniors Channing Statham and Bianca Alsobrook recorded two RBIs apiece. Hill, senior Yahamma White and senior Lillian Bullock chipped in with two hits apiece. Junior Jennifer Luper (13-10) earned the win by striking out six over seven innings.
Back-to-back doubles in the first by Alsobrook and Hill led to three first-inning runs for A&T. Statham broke open the game in the fifth with a two-run RBI double. The seven seniors will actually play their final home game at the LASC on Sunday at noon. A&T's 2010 senior class has won 111 games over four years.
