EAST GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T got its bats rolling early against Appalachian State Saturday night in a non-conference baseball contest at War Memorial Stadium. But the Mountaineers pitching stiffened, allowing App State to rally to beat the Aggies 9-8. The Aggies have lost the first two games of the three-game series despite scoring a combined 16 runs on 20 hits.
The two teams have played in two different ballparks over the first two games of the series, playing Game 1 at Truist Point, home of the High Point Rockers. Game 2 was moved from an App State home game to an A&T home game because of inclement weather in the forecast in Boone, N.C. The weather was not great on the east side of Greensboro, but the two teams managed to put on an offensive showcase over the first three innings complete.
App State opened the game with five runs in the top of the first. A&T responded with four runs in its half of the first, as Anthony Hennings opened the frame with a single before Cameran Brantley did what he has done a lot in an Aggies uniform, he walked. Luis Espinal hit a one-out RBI single through the right side to score the Aggies first run. Brantley moved to third on the play, and Canyon Brown followed with a walk to load the bases.
Shemar Dalton took advantage with a two-run single up the middle, scoring Brantley and Espinal to cut App State's lead to 5-3. After a Chet Sikes strikeout made the second out in the inning, Dalton stole second and Brown came home on the throwing error by catcher Hayden Cross, sending the Aggies into the second inning trailing 5-4.
App State added two more runs in the third on a two-run single by Hunter Wilder. But the Aggies got their offense going again in the third too. A Brown doubled to open the inning before Dalton reached on a hit by pitch. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch by App State starter Bradley Wilson. Sikes grounded out to second to score Brown to cut the Mountaineers lead to two. TJ Ash then singled up the middle to score Dalton, making it a one-run game. Ash eventually moved to second on an error before getting third on a passed ball.
After Ivan Sierra walked, Hennings laid down a sacrifice bunt that moved Sierra to second and allowed Ash to tie the game at 7. The rally ended on a Brantley flyout as the teams combined for 14 runs over the first three innings played. However, things settled down as both teams received outstanding middle-relief performances.
App State right-handed pitcher Donte Chirico (1-0) pitched 4 2/3 innings, giving up three hits, one run and striking out five to get the win. Meanwhile, on the other side, Aggies RHP Connor Blantz went 3 2/3 innings, giving up five hits, one run and striking out six. The Aggies broke through in the fifth as Ash's RBI double scored Dalton to give them their first lead of the game at 8-7.
Cross tied the game for the Mountaineers in the sixth with a two-out RBI single up the middle. Cross then helped the Mountaineers take the lead for good in the eighth. A&T RHP Justin Poris hit Andrew Terrell with a pitch to open the frame. Poris recovered by striking out the next two App State batters before Cross stepped up and got another big two-out RBI for the Mountaineers by doubling to center to score Terrell.
After Cross reached third on a passed ball and Luke Drumheller and Golston Gillespie walked to load the bases, Coley Kilpatrick got the Aggies out of the jam by striking out Dylan Rogers. The Aggies went down in order in the eighth and the ninth to secure the win for App State. Poris (0-1) took the loss, and Caleb Cross got the save for the Mountaineers.
Ash led the Aggies by going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Dalton scored twice and drove in two runs. Wilder drove in four runs for the Mountaineers, and Cross went 4-for-5 with two RBI. The two teams wrap up the series Sunday at 1 p.m., inside War Memorial Stadium.
