EAST GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T split a softball doubleheader with the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs Saturday afternoon at the Lady Aggies Complex.
In the process, the Aggies captured their first-ever Big South Conference win, 8-1 in the first game as freshman Icess Tresvik pitched a one-hitter, where she struck out a season-high 13. GWU no-hit the Aggies in the second game on its way to a 9-0 win in five innings.
The Aggies are 10-14 overall and 1-4 in conference play. The Runnin' Bulldogs are 10-11 and 3-2 in Big South play as the two teams play the rubber game of the series at 1 p.m., Sunday, at The Complex.
The Aggies won the first game after their offense got hot late.
"It felt really good," said Tresvik after Game 1. "We really had something to prove after Winthrop.
We weren't playing Aggie ball at Winthrop. It felt really good, and hopefully tomorrow, we get another win in the series."
In the first game, GWU scored in the third inning when Abbey Goodrum recorded the Bulldogs' only hit with a blooper over the head of sophomore shortstop Alyxx Estrada's head to drive home Riley McCurry, who walked and stole second.
A&T's offense got rolling in the fourth and never stopped. Tresvik got it going with an RBI double to center field to drive home freshman Dezianna Patmon from first base after she reached on an infield single.
Freshman Jailyn Tineo kept the rallying going despite striking out as she reached on a wild pitch on the third strike. Then, freshman Mariah Headen walked to load the bases for sophomore Kayla Taylor who grounded out to second to score Tresvik for a 2-1 Aggies lead.
Senior Jocelyn Bennett followed with a two-run double to left field to drive home two more for a 4-1 lead.
A&T increased their lead in the fifth as sophomore Kendall Macauley started the inning with a single through the left side. Estrada's sacrifice bunt moved Macauley into scoring position. As Macauley rounded the bag toward third base, a throwing error allowed Macauley to score.
Tresvik then sent a 2-1 pitch over the center field fence for a two-out home run, Tresvik's eighth of the season, as the Aggies took a 6-1 lead.
In the sixth, the Aggies closed out strong after Bennett hit a two-out single and graduate Jazzmaine Hammond drew a walk. Macauley then delivered a two-run double to left to give the Aggies a seven-run advantage.
Tresvik closed things out from the circle in the seventh. She did give up a walk, but she struck out McCurry to end the game. Tresvik's win improves her to 2-3 on the season. Andrea Lyon (4-7) took the loss.
"In the previous games, I was a little off," Tresvik said. "So, I felt like I needed to redeem myself. In the past couple of weeks, I've been missing my spots. I was really trying to focus and make sure that I hit my spots to get back to what I was doing well at the beginning of the season."
Tresvik went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two RBI, a double and a home run offensively. Macauley had a 2-for-3 Game 1 with one run scored and two RBI, and Bennett went 2-for-3 with one run scored and two RBI.
Freshman Joey Barkhimer (5-3) recorded the loss in the second game after GWU scored seven runs off her over 2.2 innings. Sydney Gilbert (4-3) got the win after striking out six in the no-hit shutout.
