STATESBORO, Ga. – The North Carolina A&T softball team got one hit twice on Friday during the first day of Georgia Southern University's GATA Challenge at Eagle Field at GS Softball Complex on Friday. The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders defeated A&T 8-0 in five innings in the early game. Later in the day, GSU defeated A&T 4-0.
Sierra Baldwin got the lone hit for the Aggies in both games. Middle Tennessee took a 5-0 lead into the home half of the third. Shelby Sargent hit a two-run RBI triple to give the Blue Raiders a 7-0 lead. Amaya Harris made it 8-0 with an RBI double down the right field line. It gave the Blue Raiders enough runs to end the game early because of the 8-run mercy rule in softball.
The Aggies tried to cut into Middle Tennessee's lead as two runners reached because they were hit by pitch. But with runners on first and second, Joey Barkhimer hit a ground ball to third, forcing out pinch runner Moriah Terry trying to advance to third. The Aggies went down in order in the fifth inning, ending the game after 4 1/2 innings.
Keri Munn (2-0) got the win for Middle Tennesee. Sharla Kirkpatrick (0-2) took the loss in the circle.
A&T got a combined solid pitching performance from Kayla Douglas and Amaya Kearse. Douglas got the start and pitched two scoreless innings before running into a bases-loaded jam in the home half of the third. Kearse entered the game and walked Deja Mills and Kinley Stewart to force in the Eagles first two runs.
Kearse cruised through the next two innings, allowing only one base runner. She retired the first two Eagles she faced in the sixth before walking Olivia Creamer. Brooke Kell reached on a bunt single to put runners on first and second. Faith Barth singled home Creamer for a 3-0 Eagles lead before Emma Davis singled home Kell, for a four-run GSU lead.
Barkhimer did reach on a walk in the seventh, but a strikeout ended the game. Kendrick Morgan (3-0) pitched a complete-game one-hitter with 13 strikeouts to get the win. Douglas (0-5) got the loss.
A&T is back in action on Saturday with an 11 a.m. game against Middle Tennessee and a 4 p.m. game against Georgia Southern.
