BOILING SPRINGS (February 10, 2017) -- North Carolina A&T softball won their first game of the season 6-4 over Alabama A&M at Brinkley Softball Stadium to open the Gardner-Webb Tournament on Friday. Later in the day, the Aggies lost to East Tennessee State 6-1.
Preseason All-MEAC first-team selection Raven Gray lived up to expectations, going 2-for-4 with a double, triple, RBI and run scored in the contest. Zadasia Waddell and Kimberly Brunson also had two hits apiece as Brunson added two RBI to her totals. From the circle, Waddell pitched a complete game, allowing five hits and only one walk over 27 at bats.
The Aggies came out swinging in the first inning as leadoff hitter Stephanie Williams reached first on an error from Bulldogs Kia Lang and would eventually reach home on a massive triple to center field from Gray. Senior Jillian Nobles used her veteran skillset to steal second after getting walked and reached third on an error at shortstop, scoring Gray. Waddell had a single in her first at bat to score Nobles before the inning ended on a pop up from Nathaly Pacheco with the Aggies ahead 3-0.
Tthe Bulldogs tied up the game on two errors from the Aggies in the bottom of the third after a walk from Waddell, Danielle Hansell reached third on a throwing error from first baseman Kimberly Brunson while Jessica Alferos stood on first on a fielder's choice. A single from Imani Largin put Hansell across the plate before a throwing error from Waddell gave Alferos the opportunity to score.
The Aggies had a response in the fourth as Zadia Davis and Waddell opened up with back-to-back singles. A sacrifice bunt from Pacheco advanced the runners and a ground-rule double from Brunson pushed her teammates across the plate to give the Aggies a 5-3 advantage. N.C. A&T would score again in the top of the sixth as a single from Pacheco, double from Brunson and single from Lauren Dunlow would give the Aggies a 6-3 advantage. While the Bulldogs would tack on one more in the sixth and have the winning run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh, it was not enough to overtake N.C. A&T.
In a quick turnaround, N.C. A&T prepared to take on ETSU. Mohagony Headen threw a complete game, but the Buccaneers bats had the Aggies trying to catch up the entire game. A leadoff double to start the game from Danielle Knoetze followed by a single from Kelsey Chernak put ETSU up 1-0. They would add three more in the third as Headen found herself in the first of her bases loaded situations. A throwing error from Pacheco aided Tiffany Laughren in taking the Bucs up 2-0 before Mykeah Johnson crossed the plate, followed by an RBI single from Nikki Grupp to take the Bucs up 4-0.
The fourth inning gave the Aggies a chance to add one to the board as Pacheco went up to bat, producing a single up the third base line. Jillian Nobles then reached first on a fielder's choice before an RBI triple from freshman shortstop Stephanie Williams gave N.C. A&T their first and only score of the contest.
Tournament play continues for the Aggies on Saturday, Feb. 11 as they open the day against tournament host Gardner-Webb to determine their seeding for the second game on Saturday.
