EAST GREENSBORO – The North Carolina A&T baseball team ran into a midweek setback on Tuesday as the Queens University of Charlotte Royals defeated the Aggies 12-2 at War Memorial Stadium. The Aggies, coming off their first-ever Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) sweep of the season, had a bit of a letdown on Tuesday.
They dropped to 17-20 overall heading into a crucial three-game CAA series at Stony Brook this weekend. On the other hand, Queens University has won two of three to improve to 8-31 on the season.
Left-hander Daniel Carter (L, 1-2) started the game for the Aggies and went 2.2 innings, giving up five runs and striking out three. First baseman Nick Alderfer earned an RBI single off Carter in the first inning to give the Royals a 1-0. Alderfer eventually scored on a wild pitch before Christian Maggio hit an RBI single to complete the Royals three-run first.
A&T got one run back in its first. Right fielder Shemar Dalton reached base safely for the 13th straight game by leading off the Aggies first on a four-pitch walk from Queens RHP and starter Blake Efird (W, 1-0). Two batters later, designated hitter Camden Jackson hit a one-out RBI double to right center to score Dalton from first.
After Jackson's double, Efird retired the next seven batters he faced. During that time, the Royals added two runs in the visitor's third for a 5-1 lead. Efird did not allow an Aggie to reach base again until Jackson returned to the plate in the third to single to left with two outs. Catcher Canyon Brown followed with a single to left field, but Efird struck out second baseman Tre Williams.
JJ Sousa gave the Royals a 6-1 lead in the fourth with an RBI single. The Aggies added its final run in the sixth with a solo home run from Brown. It was Brown's third home run of the season and the 10th of his career.
But a two-run single by Riley Cheek in the seventh gave the Royals an 8-2, and a four-run ninth by Queens was more than enough on Tuesday. Jackson had his sixth multiple-hit game of the season by going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Brown added his seventh multi-hit of 2023 with a 2-for-3 evening that included a run scored and an RBI.
The Royals had five players record multi-hit and multi-RBI games. A&T begins its three-game series against Stony Brook on Friday at Joe Nathan Field at 6 p.m. The Aggies are in seventh place in the CAA as they fight for one of the top six spots allowed by the CAA in its conference tournament.
