GREENSBORO - North Carolina A&T's biggest concern coming into the 2011 softball season was pitching.
On Sunday, it didn't look all that concerning. Sophomore Hope Fletcher pitched a complete-game shutout to lead the Aggies to a 3-0 win over Rider during the final day of the 2011 N.C. A&T Invitational at the Lady Aggies Softball Complex. The Aggies finished invitational with a 2-2 record with wins over Western Carolina and Rider. Their two losses were to Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne and Presbyterian.
Dominique Smith led the Aggies offensively by going 3-for-3 with a run scored. Fletcher added two hits and two RBIs to help her own cause. The Aggies played the game as the visitors on their own home field.
Detavia Kenan scored Fletcher in the third inning with an RBI triple to right center field to give the Aggies a 1-0 lead. N.C. A&T added some insurance in the seventh inning as Smith opened the inning with a single to center field. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Tiffany Macklin.
Lauren Clement took advantage of Macklin's sacrifice by singling to up the middle to put runners on first and third. After a Tranea Jones groundout, Fletcher gave herself a nice cushion going into the home seventh as she ripped a triple to left center to score Smith and pinch-runner Niasia Calhoun for a three-run lead.
Fletcher did run into trouble in the seventh. The tying run came to the plate with just one out. But Rider shortstop Laura Gallagher and left fielder Kehli Washington flew out to center field to end the game. Fletcher improved to 3-2 on the season with the win. The Aggies are 3-5, and will continue their season with a road game at USC Upstate on Monday, March 7 at 2:30 p.m.
