CHARLESTON, S.C. – North Carolina A&T baseball dropped the third game of a three-game series at Charleston Southern, 6-3, at Nielsen Field in Big South Conference play on Sunday afternoon.
The Aggies (10-17, 0-6) have lost three straight and are still seeking their first conference win.
Both teams were able to scratch across a run in the opening frame, beginning with A&T.
Sophomore Xavier Bussey drew a two-out walk, and then fellow sophomore Camden Jackson popped a bloop single into shallow center field to put runners on the corners.
Then, sophomore Chet Sikes ripped a single right back at Bucs right-hander Evan Truitt on the mound. The ball ricocheted off Truitt's cleat. By the time shortstop Peyton Basler scooped it and was ready to throw to first, Sikes was already there. Bussey scored on the play to give A&T a 1-0 lead.
CSU (13-17, 5-4) began the game with a base hit from Austen Izzio, but the junior tried extending it to a double and was thrown out at second base. Hayden Harris then laced a single to right center, and a pitch hit Ajay Sczepkowski to put runners on first and second.
After a strikeout, a wild pitch advanced both runners 90 feet to second and third. Another wild pitch allowed Harris to score from third. But Sczepkowsk was thrown at home trying to score.
Junior LHP Peyton Winebarger got the start for the Aggies on the mound and turned in a solid line, going 5.1 innings and giving up three runs on six hits with five strikeouts.
In the top of the sixth, with the game still knotted at 1, junior infielder Cort Maynard torched an opposite-field long ball over the right field fence, his team-leading seventh bomb of the year that gave the Aggies a 3-1 advantage.
After recording the first out in the home half, Winebarger departed for sophomore Xavier Meachem (L, 0-2) with runners on first and second. Two straight wild pitches to begin his outing allowed a run to come in with Connor Carter still a threat at third base.
After Peyton Mills struck out for the second out of the inning, Hogan McIntosh stepped to the plate and jumped all over a fastball to give the Bucs the lead for the first time, 4-3.
In the eighth, Mills homered with Carter on the bases to give CSU some much-needed insurance heading into the final frame.
Graduate Alec Seaton drew a lead-off walk to begin the ninth, but in a pinch-hit situation, junior Cameran Brantley grounded into a double play before Junior Anthony Hennings struck out looking to end the game.
A&T mustered just six hits in the game, all by different players, while Maynard tallied a team-high two RBI on his homer.
