GREENSBORO - The 2012 North Carolina A&T Softball
Invitational concluded on Sunday with the Aggies losing 11-0 to Utah Valley and
6-3 to Marist at the Lady Aggies Softball Complex.
Utah Valley was named Invitational champion by virtue of
going 3-1 over the weekend. The Youngstown State Penguins finished second as
they too went 3-1. The two teams were not able to play a championship game
because Utah Valley had to take a plane out of Greensboro Sunday evening.
The Wolverines were awarded the title because they defeated
the Penguins on Friday in the round robin format. Ten players were named to the
all-tournament team with Hope Fletcher earning all-tourney honors for the
Aggies after batting .429 (6-for-14) and scoring three runs.
In the final game of the invitational between A&T and
Marist, Marist gained the advantage over A&T with a sixth-inning grand
slam.
Fletcher went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Tranea
Jones had a 3-for-4 afternoon with two RBI. The Aggies finished the first
inning with a 1-0 lead thanks to a Jones RBI single up the middle that scored
Fletcher from second.
A&T held off the Red Foxes until two outs in the third
inning. The Aggies couldn't close the inning because Danielle Koltz reached on
an error. A passed ball allowed Koltz to move into scoring position, where
Nicole DiVirgilio supplied an RBI single to center field to score Koltz.
DiVirgilio moved into scoring position on the throw home to
put out Koltz. DiVirgilio's base running would prove beneficial for the Red
Foxes as Megan Lamoureux reached on another Aggies error that allowed
DiVirgilio to score for a 2-1 Marist lead.
An opportunity to regain the lead came A&T's way in the
third. Zabresha Blakeney's bunt single was followed by a Jones single. A fielder's
choice and a groundout put runners on second and third, but put two outs on the
scoreboard. Aggies catcher Sabrina Edmonds, who was playing in her first game
of the season, fouled out to first to end the inning.
The Red Foxes, who were trying to win their first game of
the invitational, took a big step in that direction in the sixth. Koltz, who
was named to the all-tournament team, stepped to the plate with two outs. She worked Aggies starter Ashira Dobison to a
3-1 count before taking her fastball to center field for the grand slam and a
6-1 lead.
A&T had a chance to return the favor in the seventh.
Pinch-hitter Alexandria McAfee opened the inning with a walk off of Marist
starter Janine Lalli. Tiffany Macklin kept the rally going with a one-out
single. Fletcher's single loaded the bases for Blakeney. Blakeney kept the
bases loaded by hitting into a fielder's choice to put the Red Foxes one out
away from a win.
It didn't happen. Jones singled to score Macklin and Juanita
Jernigan was hit by a pitch to force home another run to move the Aggies to
within three. But Raven Smith's groundball to second ended the game as Marist
improved to 2-4 on the season. The Aggies fell to 1-5 on the season as they
prepare to play the HBCU Challenge in Conyers, Ga., next weekend.
Lalli picked up the win after striking out six. Dobison
(1-3) took the loss despite striking out a season-high seven.
In the Aggies Sunday morning game against Utah Valley, the
Wolverines scored multiple runs in three of their first four innings to get a
big lead against the Aggies. UVU starter Tiffany Mills, an all-tournament
selection, gave up just one hit and struck out four. Amanda Robison went
2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI.
The following is the all-tournament team.
Hope Fletcher - A&T; Erin Foster - WCU; Jordan Ingalls -
YSU; Danielle Koltz - Marist; Caroline Krombach - YSU; Tiffany Mills - UVU;
Amanda Robinson - UVU; Shameika Scotton - WCU; Haley Thomas - YSU; Jessica
Uresti - UVU
