PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The North Carolina A&T softball team is still after its first Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) win after losing both games of a Friday doubleheader against the Drexel Dragons at Drexel University Softball Field.
A&T lost the first game 7-2 before losing 2-1 on a walk-off sacrifice fly in the home seventh inning in Game 2. The Aggies dropped their 12th straight game and fell to 6-20 on the season and 0-8 in conference play. Drexel improved to 7-13 overall and 4-3 in league play.
A&T starter Sharla Kirkpatrick (L, 2-9) lost a tough Game 2. She pitched superbly in the circle, going 6.2 innings, giving up seven hits on two runs, one earned, and striking out four. Kirkpatrick also did not surrender a walk during the game. She had a shutout going through the first 5.2 innings of the ballgame.
She received some help in the fourth inning when junior Joey Barkhimer hit her fourth home run of the season, a solo shot to give the Aggies a 1-0 lead. It was one of three hits the Aggies had against Drexel starter Natalie Alldred (W, 1-1). Senior infielder Alyxx Estrada had two of those hits, going 2-for-3 in Game 2.
During the pitcher's duel, Drexel finally broke through against Kirkpatrick in the sixth inning. A two-out error allowed Mia Garza to reach second, leading to Devyn Demchak stepping up and hitting an RBI single to score Garza to tie the game at 1-1. Kirkpatrick escaped the inning by striking out Madison Gayle.
The Aggies did put a runner on in the seventh inning, as Alldred hit sophomore Makayla Layton with a pitch. But freshman Trinity Glover grounded out to send the game into the home seventh. Annabelle Smink opened Drexel's seventh with a double to left field. Kirkpatrick recovered and earned a strikeout against Grace Abbonizio. Izzy Alamillo reached on a fielder's choice, sending Smink to third to set up Jackie Masone's heroics. Masone sent a flyball to right field to score Smink to win the game.
Demchak and Abbonizio went 2-for-3 in Game 2 for the Dragons. Abbonizio had a 3-for-3 game in Game 1 for the Dragons, including two runs scored and two RBIs. Graduate Brenay Howard led the Aggies in the first game, going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Amaya Kearse (L, 1-3) received the start in Game 1 for A&T, going 3.2 innings and striking out two. The Dragons took a 5-0 lead over the game's first four innings before Glover hit her first career home run in the fifth inning to put the Aggies on the board. But Abbonizio countered with a two-run homer in the home fifth to give the Dragons a 7-1 advantage.
A&T had a good sixth inning but came away with only one run. Howard opened the frame with a single before Barkhimer reached on an error to put Aggies at first and second. But freshman Jamari Moss hit into a double that allowed Howard to score. Moss put another run on the board but also placed two outs there. Freshman Destiny Sims doubled to keep the rally going, but a Katriel Williams strikeout ended the inning.
The Aggies placed a runner on in the second, but Drexel starter Lindsay Nelson (W, 4-7) earned a strikeout to end the game. The two teams will not complete the series finale until Sunday, when they face each other at noon.
