FARMVILLE, Va. – North Carolina A&T lost both games of a softball doubleheader in Big South Conference play on Saturday as the Longwood Lancers won 9-1 in five innings and 12-9 at Lancer Field.
Longwood powered its way past the Aggies in the first game with four home runs that accounted for seven runs. In Game 2, A&T committed seven errors that led to eight unearned runs.
In the first game, the Lancers scored three runs in the first inning after Alexis Wayland took the second pitch she saw and hit the ball over the left field fence for a two-run home run. Sydney Guess followed with a home run over left field fence for a 3-0 lead.
Wayland's second at-bat resulted in a solo home run over the left field fence to increase the Lancers lead to 4-0 in the third.
A&T cut the lead to 4-1 after freshman Icess Tresvik singled through the left side to drive home sophomore Alyxx Estrada, who reached on a double to left center.
Longwood increased its lead to 5-1 after a wild pitch scored a run in the fourth. The Lancers run-ruled the Aggies in the fifth inning after scoring four runs. Korynna Anderson hit a three-run home run over the left field fence for an 8-1 lead. Kayley Deviv ended the game with an RBI infield single.
Estrada went 1-for-2 with a run scored, and Tresvik went 1-for-2 with an RBI. Tresvik (3-4) picked up the loss, pitching the first 2.1 innings giving up four runs on four hits with five strikeouts. Freshman Joey Barkhimer pitched the final 2.1 innings giving up five runs, three earned, on six hits.
In the second game, the Aggies took their first lead of the series after Kendall Macauley scored on a throwing error in the visitor's first for a 1-0 lead. Longwood tied the game in its first after an RBI single to score Deviv.
In the second inning, the Lancers scored eight runs, with only three earned to increase their lead to 9-1. Longwood started the scoring in the inning with back-to-back RBI doubles for a 3-1 lead.
Jaden Pone singled through the right side to increase the lead to 4-1.
Longwood then loaded the bases with no outs. An error allowed a run to score for a 5-1 lead. Wayland followed with an RBI sacrifice fly to left field. Sydney Jacobsen followed by grounding out to short to drive in a run to increase the lead to 8-1 and finished the scoring in the frame with Lauren Taylor's RBI single up the middle.
In the third inning, the Aggies scored five runs to cut the lead to 9-6. Graduate Jazzmaine Hammond started the inning with a bunt single. Hammond eventually stole second, and Estrada drew a one-out walk. A double steal put the runners and second and third with one out.
Freshman Dezianna Patmon scored Hammond on an infield single as Estrada went to third. Tresvik scored two runs on an RBI sac fly to score Estrada and Patmon to cut Longwood's lead to 9-4.
Sophomore Kayla Taylor hit her first home run of 2022 to cut the lead to four, and senior Jocelyn Bennett made it a three-run game, 9-6, with a double to right to bring home freshman Jailyn Taylor who reached on a walk.
Longwood increased its lead in the third with an unearned run and added two more unearned runs in the fourth to take a 12-6 lead.
A&T did make a comeback attempt. A one-out bases-loaded walk to Tineo in the fifth scored Patmon from third. But Bennett lined into a double play to end the threat. A&T kept the pressure on in the sixth. Patmon singled through the left side to drive home Estrada and Macauley to make it a 12-9 game.
Taylor did reach on a throwing error in the seventh for the Aggies, but her pinch runner Moriah Terry was caught stealing. A Tineo strikeout and a Bennett pop-up ended the game.
Patmon went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI, and Taylor went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Hammond went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Mariah Headen (0-4) picked up the loss, pitching one inning, giving up five runs, three earned runs, on seven hits. S'Nyiah Stinson pitched the final five innings giving up seven runs, one earned run, on seven hits and three strikeouts.
