CHAPEL HILL, NC – In search of its second straight upset win over the University of North Carolina Tar Heels on Tuesday, the North Carolina A&T baseball team went into the bottom of the eighth, trailing by one run. But the Aggies could not get over the hump this time as the Tar Heels came away with a 6-4 win at Boshamer Stadium.
Tre Williams led the Aggies by going 3-for-4, which included a home run and a double, as he drove in four runs and scored once. The Aggies had six hits on the day. The Aggies have lost three of four and dropped to 10-10 after the non-conference contest. The Tar Heels won their fifth straight to improve to 16-5.
UNC led 5-2 after the first three innings before the Aggies started to chip away at the lead. A&T right-hand reliever Ethan Snyder aided in the Aggies rally. He replaced A&T starter and LHP Daniel Carter after Carter pitched the first two innings. Snyder went four innings, giving up two runs and striking out two. But at one point, he retired six straight Tar Heels and held UNC scoreless for three consecutive innings.
In the process, Tre Williams homered in the fourth inning to cut UNC's lead to 5-3. Williams struck again in the eighth, cutting the Tar Heels lead to one when he doubled to right field to score Canyon Brown, who hit a one-out single to center field.
Anthony Hennings put Aggies at first and second when he walked. Dalton Pierce entered the game on the mound and struck out pinch-hitter Chris Moss to end the inning. But the Tar Heels, who lost to the Aggies 7-6 last season at Boshamer Stadium, avoided the same fate in 2023. They increased their lead in the home eighth before Matt Poston retired the Aggies in order in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.
Will Sandy (2-0) pitched three innings of relief to earn the win. The Aggies took a first-inning lead as Shemar Dalton opened the game by walking on seven pitches before advancing to third on a Cort Maynard groundout. Dalton moved to third on a Camden Jackson single. After a Canyon Brown strikeout for the second out in the inning, Cameran Brantley loaded the bases with a six-pitch walk.
Williams followed with a two-out, two-run single, giving the Aggies a 2-0 lead before Hennings' strikeout ended the inning. However, the Tar Heels responded quickly in their half of the first, hitting a solo home run and a two-run homer off Carter to take a 3-2 lead. The three-run first led to Carter (1-1) taking the loss.
UNC took a 5-1 lead on a two-run homer from Hunter Stokley before the Aggies cut the lead to 5-2 on a Williams home run. Stokley went 2-for-3 with three RBI. The Aggies return to action Wednesday at 4 p.m. when they face UNCG at War Memorial Stadium.
