ELON (April 26, 2017) – North Carolina A&T lost a heartbreaker in softball on Wednesday at Hunt Softball Park as Elon scored three runs in their sixth inning to come away with a 5-4 win.
Elon's win ends a four-game winning streak for the Aggies (14-27-1). The Aggies posted four runs despite having only five hits on the night. Senior Kimberly Brunson drove in two runs while junior Nathaly Pacheco and junior Talisha Jenkins each had an RBI. The two teams combined for six errors.
Nearly all the Aggies offense came in the fourth inning. Sophomore Zadia Davis got the first break for the Aggies when she reached base thanks to a Phoenix error. One out later Zadaisha Waddell singled to left field to put runners at first and second for Brunson who brought both teammates home with a triple to center field to give the Aggies a 2-1 lead. Pacheco kept things going with an RBI infield single to score pinch runner Taylor Martin. Pacheco moved to second on the throw to get Martin, setting up an RBI double from Jenkins to give the Aggies a 4-1 lead.
Waddell, the Aggies starter in the circle, protected the lead despite giving up a run in the Elon fourth. Even though the Aggies opened the Elon fifth with an error, Waddell pitched around it to maintain the Aggies lead at 4-2.
But the sixth inning wasn't as smooth for N.C. A&T. Alaina Hall opened the sixth with an infield single followed by a triple to left center from Carey Million to move the Phoenix to within one at 4-3. Mohagony Headen entered the circle for Waddell after the triple and got Kara Shutt for the first out of the inning as Million stayed at third. Headen then walked Erica Serafini and Emily Roper to load the bases. An Aggies error allowed Million and Serafini to score to give the Phoenix the lead at 5-4. Headen closed out the inning by striking out the final two batters she faced to end Elon's rally.
N.C. A&T did put the tying run on base in the seventh when Alexandria Simmons reached on an error. But Headen fouled out and Simmons was caught stealing to end the game. Headen (6-15) took the loss in relief, while Kiandra Mitchum got the win after pitching seven innings, striking out five and walking none. The Aggies open a three-game series at North Carolina Central on Saturday, April 29 with a 1 p.m., doubleheader. The series concludes on Sunday with a 1 p.m. start.
