HIGH POINT, NC – North Carolina A&T looked headed toward another close finish with the High Point University Panthers like the one both teams experienced six days ago at War Memorial Stadium. But a solid seventh inning ended that narrative as HPU defeated the Aggies 6-2 at Truist Point, home of the High Point Rockers baseball team, Tuesday night. 

The Aggies are 14-19 as they lost their fourth straight. HPU avenged its 12-11, 11-inning loss to the Aggies to improve to 12-24. The Panthers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an A&T throwing error. 

But the Aggies got the run back in the visitor's fifth. The frame started when right-hander Teddy Merritt replaced HPU starter and LHP Brett Wozniak. Merritt began his appearance by striking out first baseman Anthony Hennings. But Merritt walked Aggies center fielder TJ Ash on four pitches before striking out left fielder Michael Logan for the innings' second out. 

Shortstop Sabin Roane came through for the Aggies, however, with two outs. He roped an RBI double to right center, scoring Ash to even the game at 1. It marked the Aggies 52nd two-out RBI of the season and Roane's second. However, the inning ended when Roane was caught trying to steal third. 

A&T's pitching came the game close. RHP and starter Connor Blantz went two innings and gave up one unearned run. RHP Trent Simmons pitched two scoreless innings, faced eight batters and K'ed four. LHP Daniel Carter went an inning and a third, striking out two. 

In the sixth, RHP Jake Delisi (L, 1-2) replaced Carter with runners at first and second with one out. Delisi got second baseman Miggy Echazarreta to ground into a double play to end the Panther threat in the sixth. 

But in the home seventh, Brett Ahalt hit a one-out single off Delisi, followed by a single from Patrick Matthews. But Javon Fields flew out to right for the second out in the inning before the Aggies turned to RHP Justin Poris. He allowed an RBI single from Cael Chatham, scoring Ahalt. 

Poris then walked Adam Stuart to load the bases before walking Charlie Klinger to force home a run. But the major blow in the inning came off the bat of Blake Sutton, who hit a three-run double to left center, scoring three and giving the Panthers a 6-1 lead. The Aggies did add a run in the ninth off an RBI double from Tre Williams to cut HPU's lead to four. But RHP Dalton Williams got Hennings to ground out to third to end the game. 

RHP Howell Polk (W, 1-0) entered the game in the sixth and pitched two scoreless innings to earn the decision. Williams had a 2-for-4 day for the Aggies. Matthews and Fields had two hits apiece for HPU. 

A&T will come home over the weekend to face William & Mary in a three-game series, starting on Friday at 6 p.m. On Saturday before the 3 p.m. game, the Aggies will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their 1993 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title and conduct the first annual Baseball Reunion weekend. The first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday.