EAST GREENSBORO – It was a storybook ending for six North Carolina A&T baseball seniors Saturday at War Memorial Stadium.
A&T clinched its first-ever Big South Conference series victory, beating the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs, 13-6 on Senior Day.
"No matter where you are in your season, you want your team to come out and play competitive and motivated on Senior Day, which I thought we did a great job of," said A&T head coach Ben Hall. "We had to move the game time up, and Peyton gave us a great start.
He gave up a home run in the first but obviously responded. We battled in the box all day and what you love to see on Senior Day is all the seniors play and, even better, impact the game in a positive light."
Before the game, the six players honored with framed jerseys and flowers were Tyshawn Barrett, Daniel Carter, Trey Fields, Jeremiah Foster, Alec Seaton and Peyton Winebarger.
Winebarger (W, 3-7), who possibly made his final start on the mound for the Aggie Blue and Gold, turned in a terrific performance going 6.1 innings and allowing just four runs, three earned, on six hits with three strikeouts.
The game was tied 4-4 heading into the home sixth, but the A&T (15-38, 3-21) offense had Winebarger's back, posting three runs to put him in line for the win.
Seaton led off the frame with his first triple of the season. Sophomore Noah Lee immediately brought him home on an RBI sacrifice fly to center field.
Lea entered the day without an RBI in his career but posted four in Saturday's game.
"Noah had an outstanding game, probably player of the game, really," said Hall. "We've been battling injuries all year, and you always preach for guys to prepare, stay in the game, be a good teammate because you never know when your time is going to come. He's always done that. He comes out here and gets his work in, and he's always ready to go, and he's a smiling face in the dugout."
A couple of batters later, sophomore Camden Jackson got ahold of the first pitch he saw and sent it way out of the park past the parking lot in right field to put the Aggies up three, 7-4.
A&T posted nine runs over the final three innings en route to the win, including four in the eighth. The frame was highlighted by a two-RBI double from Lea down the right field line to lift the Aggie advantage to seven, 13-6.
Fields pitched 1.2 innings in relief of Winebarger and allowed four hits and two runs with a strikeout before being relieved by Foster.
In what could be his final appearance, Foster struck out the side and allowed just one hit in the process.
In his final collegiate baseball game, Seaton paced the offense with his 2-for-3 performance, which included the triple, two RBI and two runs scored, while Lea posted a team-leading and career-high four RBI. Eight of the nine bats in the lineup registered at least one hit on Saturday.
