GREENSBORO — North Carolina A&T completed its second straight comeback win and earned another home weekend series sweep with a 10-9 win at War Memorial Stadium on Sunday. On Saturday, the Aggies used a three-run walk-off home run from senior Michael Logan to win 5-4 in the ninth.
Sunday saw the Aggies rally from a 7-1 deficit after five and an 8-4 deficit after 7 ½ innings by scoring six runs in the home eighth. The Aggies' incredible run at the plate in the eighth started with senior infielder Devon Rodriguez and junior infielder Isaiah Monge battled out back-to-back walks with one out. After the walks, the Patriots turned to LHP Ty Uchman (L, 0-1) to squelch the Aggie threat.
Junior outfielder Shemar Dalton had different plans. In his final plate appearance, Dalton kept his two major streaks alive with a single to right field, scoring Rodriguez and cutting A&T's deficit to 8-5. Dalton extended his hitting streak to eight straight games while reaching base safely for the 15th straight game. Logan then racked up his fourth hit of the game to load the bases.
Graduate infielder Tatsunori Negishi ensured the opportunity to drive in runs wasn't wasted. He delivered with a double down the left-field line to score two more runs, cutting the Patriots' lead to 8-7. Logan moved to third on the play, and the Patriots intentionally walked junior catcher Canyon Brown to load the bases.
Junior infielder AJ Jones did his job by hitting an RBI sacrifice fly to even the score at 8-8. With two outs, George Mason replaced Uchman with RHP Toby Hueber. Junior Chet Sikes then forced a bad throw from George Mason third baseman South Trimble after hustling down the first-base line. The bad throw allowed Negishi to score the go-ahead run. Senior outfielder TJ Ash singled to right to cap the eighth inning for the Aggies, giving them the lead, 10-8.
Junior RHP Angel Ortiz (W, 2-0) entered the game in the sixth inning with the Aggies trailing 7-2. He retired the Patriots in order in the sixth and seventh innings. In his third inning of work, he gave up a solo home run to James Quinn-Irons for his third of the game and his fourth of the series to make it an 8-4 game going into the notable eighth.
But when Ortiz came out in the ninth, he had the lead. He showed no fear after getting in trouble. George Mason loaded the bases with one out for the dangerous Quinn-Irons. Quinn-Irons did deliver with an RBI sac fly to cut A&T's lead to 10-9. But the sac fly did create the second out in the inning, leaving the tying run at second and the go-ahead run at first. But Ortiz struck out Patriot pinch-hitter Owen Hull looking to improve the Aggies to 9-0 in a home weekend series.
George Mason was the early aggressors on Sunday, launching three home runs in the first two innings off A&T's right-handed starter Evan Hart. The Aggies scored a run in the home first as Logan reached on an error, and Negishi followed with an RBI single through the left side of the infield. But the Aggies trailed 5-1 after three.
RHP Brock Duff pitched the Aggies out of a jam in the fourth inning after replacing Hart. But the Patriots added two more runs on a Quinn-Irons two-run homer for the 7-1 lead. The Aggies refused to quit, putting together a rally in the bottom of the sixth inning. Sikes led off the inning with a walk, followed by singles by Ash and Rodriguez. With bases loaded, Dalton hit an RBI sac fly, and Logan slammed another double to make the score 7-4, setting the stage for the A&T comeback.
Logan went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and RBI. Logan went 10-for-16 (.625) for the week with four extra-base hits, including one home run. He scored eight times and drove in six runs, including the three-run blast that won Saturday's game. Negishi went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Ash and Rodriguez also had multiple-hit games.
The Aggies are 14-5 and have a well-anticipated matchup with rival UNC Greensboro on Tuesday at 6 p.m. inside War Memorial Stadium before heading to Charleston, S.C. for their Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) series opener against the College of Charleston, March 22-24.
