CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina scored three runs in the seventh, and Kelly Braman provided a walk-off sacrifice fly to lead the Catamounts to an 8-7 win over the North Carolina A&T softball team in the second game of a doubleheader played at Catamount Softball Complex. The Aggies lost the first game 13-3.
Freshman Sabrina Edmonds led the Aggies with two hits and three RBIs. Senior Ryanne Hill continued her hot streak at the plate by going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs. She also had a home run in each game.
Edmonds gave the Aggies a 6-1 lead in the fourth inning as she singled through the left side to score Tiffany Macklin and Dominique Smith. The Catamounts climbed back into the game as Haley Pace homered to left field in the fifth inning. Braman kept the inning going with a single up the middle. Shemekia Scotton followed with another single, which set up Erin Foster's two-run RBI double that scored two more to cut the Aggies lead to 6-4.
N.C. A&T was able to add to its lead in the seventh as Juanita Jernigan homered to center field for her team-leading fourth home run of the season. Western Carolina used some Aggie miscues to send the game into extra innings.
Two passed balls allowed Scotton to score the first run of the seventh inning. Foster would later score on an error to pull the Catamounts to within one. Jordan Fulton completed the comeback with an RBI single.
In the eighth, per extra inning rules, the Aggies had a runner placed on second. Dominique Gillard produced an infield single, but Jones was not able to advance to third. It would be a huge play as Edmonds hit into an inning-ending double play.
The Catamounts' runner placed on second was able to advance to third on an error. Braman took advantage with a fly out to right that scored Robyn Burnette to win the game. Katie King was able to pick up the win in relief. Jones took the loss.
All three of the Aggies runs in the first game came off of home runs. Hill, Jernigan and Tiffany Macklin took the ball out of the yard for N.C. A&T. Hill went 5-for-7 for the day, and she is 10-for-14 with six RBIs and four runs scored in her last four games.
The Aggies are back in action Saturday when they travel to Durham to face N.C. Central in a 1 p.m., doubleheader.
