EAST GREENSBORO – The North Carolina A&T and UNC Greensboro baseball teams breezed through the first seven innings of Wednesday afternoon's game at War Memorial Stadium, completing those first seven innings in 72 minutes with the teams combining for six hits.
Then the eighth inning happened. The two teams combined for seven runs, with UNCG escaping from the fray with a 6-4 win. The two Gate City Division I rivals split the season series, with each team winning on the other team's field. A&T lost both midweek games this week, dropping to 10-11 overall. UNCG avenged its earlier loss to the Aggies to improve to 11-10.
The Spartans led 3-0 going into the eighth and added to that lead when Kennedy Jones, who went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBI, hit a three-run RBI double down the left field line off right-handed reliever Xavier Meachem to give UNCG a 6-0 lead. But the Aggies offense came alive in their half of the eighth.
With one out, shortstop Sabin Roane reached on an error and scored on an RBI double from Shemar Dalton to end any hopes the Spartans had of shutting out the Aggies. Third baseman Cort Mynard helped to put another run on the board for A&T when he singled to center, scoring Dalton to cut UNCG's lead to 6-2. Camden Jackson's strikeout accounted for the second out of the inning before Tre Williams doubled to right center to score Maynard.
The Spartans made their second pitching change of the inning after Williams' double, as Jake Wolf entered to pitch for Luke Thomas. Catcher Canyon Brown greeted him with an RBI single to left center. Williams scored to get the Aggies to within two at 6-4. A&T's rally ended when Wolf struck out Cameran Brantley for the final out of the frame.
Meachem had a cleaner ninth inning, retiring the Spartans in order to give his team a chance to rally from a two-run deficit in the ninth. Center fielder TJ Ash got things started with a one-out single to right. Then, pinch-hitter Nick Lundquist walked to bring the winning run to the plate in Dalton. But Dalton hit into a double play to end the game.
Price King (W, 2-0), who aided mightily in the swift pace of the game leading up to the eighth inning, pitched 7 1/3 innings, giving up six hits, two runs and no walks. Luke Brown (L, 1-2) pitched the Aggies first four innings, surrendering three hits, two walks and two runs.
Dalton, Maynard, Jackson and Brown had two hits apiece. Williams, Dalton and Brown each doubled for the Aggies. UNCG took an early lead over A&T, thanks to the long ball. Caleb Cozart hit a two-run home run in the first, and Jones had a solo shot in the second.
A&T returns to Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play Friday night, March 24, when they start a three-game series with the Hofstra Pride at War Memorial Stadium. The first pitch is at 6 p.m. Game 2 of the series is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday and the series finale takes play Sunday afternoon at 1.
