ELON, N.C. – North Carolina A&T lost a heartbreaking in non-conference baseball Sunday, 10-9, to the Elon Phoenix at Latham Park.
"Really disappointed dropping that series and the result today," said A&T coach Ben Hall. "We battled back and gave ourselves a chance to win it in the end, so the fight was there."
The Aggies (5-10) trailed 10-6 with two outs, and the bases loaded in the visitor's eighth inning. Sophomore Cameran Brantley, who was 2-for-3 with a home run at the time, came to bat. He struck out swinging.
But a passed ball allowed him to reach safely as senior Dustin Baber scored from third to make it 10-7 with the bases still juiced.
Junior Justin Rodriguez took the first pitch of his at-bat for a ball before slicing a two-run RBI double down the left field line scoring junior Tony Mack and senior Ryne Stanley to make it a one-run game. A&T's threat came to an end when junior Justin Williams popped out to shortstop.
Senior closer Evan Gates made quick work of the Phoenix (5-8) in the Elon eighth, but the Aggies went down in order in the ninth. Leaving seven men on base hurt the Aggies comeback efforts.
Brantley was one of two Aggies to go yard in the game, joined Stanley, who smashed a two-run shot in the sixth. Stanley had his best game of the season, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored. Rodriguez also had three RBI in the game and went 2-for-5.
Cole Parks (2-1) suffered his first loss of the season. He pitched 4.0 innings and allowed five runs, three earned, on five hits with four strikeouts. Parks committed a critical throwing error in the bottom of the fourth inning, and the Phoenix capitalized, scoring three unearned runs in the frame.
"We just aren't going to consistently win when we give the opposing team multiple free runs defensively," said Hall. "That's how you get caught constantly chasing the game."
The Aggies were within one run, 5-4, after putting together a three-hit, three-run fifth. Freshman Daniel Carter relieved Parks and faced just two batters, walking the first and giving up a single to the second before senior Leon Davidson came in to relieve him.
Davidson got out of the inning, but not before allowing Carter's base runners to score and giving up two of his own.
Gates relieved Davidson and finished with 3.0 innings pitched and one run allowed on three hits with two strikeouts. It was the first earned run Gates has allowed all season in 13.2 innings pitched.
Alex Iadisernia paced the Phoenix with a 4-for-4, two RBI; two runs scored performance that featured a home run.
"We have a huge week of work to put in to get ready for the start of MEAC play," said Hall. "Our job as coaches is to get this team prepared to play better baseball, and it starts with me."
The Aggies will take on Appalachian State in a midweek matchup this Tuesday, March 16, at 5 p.m. at Kidd-Brewer Field in Boone, N.C., before beginning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play next weekend against archrival N.C. Central.
