BUIES CREEK (March 18, 2016) – North Carolina A&T tried to fight back a Campbell comeback on Friday but eventually succumbed in a 10-8 loss in non-conference baseball action at Jim Perry Stadium.
The Aggies (4-15) had a big day offensively. Six different Aggies had at least two hits. Junior Keenan Herring went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored.
N.C. A&T opened up a lead in the fourth inning. With the Aggies trailing 3-1, Dawnoven Smith opened the inning with an infield single which was followed by a Kyle Clary single. Both runners moved into scoring position thanks to a sacrifice bunt by Forest Kimbrell.
Kimbrell's bunt set up an RBI single by freshman Jason King that scored Smith. Sophomore Myles Sowell tied the game for N.C. A&T on an RBI sac fly to right field. After sophomore Milton Rivera was hit by a pitch, King scored on an RBI single through the left side by sophomore Adan Ordonez to give the Aggies a 4-3 lead. The Aggies capped off the five-run inning with a two-run RBI triple by Herring as Ordonez and Rivera scored to give the Aggies a 6-3 advantage.
Despite efforts from the Fighting Camels, the Aggies were able to maintain their lead. Campbell scored two runs in their half of the fourth to get within one. N.C. A&T pushed the lead back to two in the sixth as Myles Sowell hit his fourth home run of the season with a solo launch to left field for a 7-5 lead. That lead increased to three when Herring opened the seventh with a triple. Smith drove him home with a single to give N.C. A&T an 8-5 lead.
But once again the Camels (9-10) made a charge at the Aggies lead. With Camel runners at second and third, Adam Wyse's infield single scored Brian Taylor from third. Wyse then broke to second on an attempted steal. The errand throw to second went into the outfield allowing Matt Parish to score from third to cut N.C. A&T's lead to 8-7.
Campbell finally overcame the Aggies lead in the eighth. With runners on first and second, Taylor singled through the left side, which scored Anthony Lopez from second. But when the ball was mishandled in left field, Junior Snow scored from first to give the Camels a 9-8 lead. A fielding error at short scored to Taylor for the two-run lead.
Right-hand reliever Eric Dowse retired the Aggies in order in the ninth inning to improve to 1-0 on the season. Dowse pitched 2.2 innings, struck out five and gave up one hit during his stint. RHP Tevelle Clark got the start for the Aggies and went five innings. Right-hand reliever Leon Hunter (0-2) took the loss.
The two teams will play a 1 p.m., doubleheader on Saturday at Jim Perry Stadium.
