ROCK HILL, SC – North Carolina A&T softball concluded its play in the Winthrop Eagle Classic at Terry Field on Sunday. The Aggies went 0-5 at the Classic after an 11-0 loss in six innings to Queens University of Charlotte. The Aggies recorded four hits on the day, including one extra base hit.
The lone extra base hit belonged to freshman Katriel Williams who tripled in the fourth inning. Junior Aylxx Estrada, junior Dezianna Patmon and freshman Megan Ellis recorded the other three hits for A&T. Ellis led the Aggies throughout the Classic by going 4-for-10 (.400) with a double and five total bases in four games played.
Patmon led the Aggies with three RBI and a home run. The Aggies dropped to 1-7 on the season. Meanwhile, Queens earned its second win over the Classic over the Aggies and improved to 6-2. Four Royals had multiple-hit games, and Lindsey DeRoeck homered.
Queens led only 3-0 going into the visitor's fifth before a couple of A&T wild pitches allowed two runs to score. But the big Royal hits came in their sixth inning. Jordyn Thompson had the biggest blow when she hit a bases-loaded clearing three-run RBI double down the left field line to give the Royals a 9-0 lead.
Haley Hmiel kept the inning going by drawing a walk. Hmiel and pinch runner Juhles Kelly moved to second and third on a passed ball before Kayla Smith walked to load the bases. It set up a two-run double from Kasidi Staley that scored Kelly and Hmiel for an 11-0 Queens lead.
A&T needed four runs in its sixth to keep the game going into the seventh. Patmon gave the Aggies hope with a one-out single, but Williams popped up, and Patmon was caught stealing to end the game. Gerlea Patton led the Royals by going 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Autumn Courtney (3-0) got the win for Queens, and Sharla Kirkpatrick got the loss for the Aggies.
The Aggies will play in another tournament next week as Georgia Southern will host the GATA Challenge in Statesboro, Ga. The Challenge starts on Feb. 24 and runs through Sunday, Feb. 26. The Aggies will face Georgia Southern three times and Middle Tennessee twice.
