CHARLESTON, S.C. – North Carolina A&T had a fantastic non-conference baseball season, getting off to the program's best start since becoming a Division I program. On Saturday, the Aggies entered the crucial part of their season, Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play against the College of Charleston at The Ballpark at Patriots Point.
A&T passed its first test during the first game of a doubleheader against the Couguars, using a complete-game shutout from senior right-hander Coley Kilpatrick (W, 3-0) to defeat Charleston 5-0. The Aggies lost Game 2, 7-5. After the split, the Aggies are 16-6 overall and 1-1 in CAA play. The Cougars moved to 14-7 and 1-1 in league play.
Kilpatrick pitched the Aggies' first complete-game shutout since Tim Luth completed the task in a 3-0 win over Bethune-Cookman on March 22, 2019. Friday also marked the first time an A&T pitcher has pitched a complete game since Kilpatrick did it last season in a 2-1 win over William & Mary on April 21. It is the Aggies' first shutout win since beating UMass Lowell 6-0 on Feb. 26, 2022.
Kilpatrick gave up only four hits, walked six and struck out four. He lowered his season ERA to 1.70, ranking him second in the CAA. The Aggies offense helped Kilpatrick before he even stepped on the mound Saturday. Junior outfielder Shemar Dalton immediately extended his streak of reaching base safely to 17 games with a double to right field. Dalton also extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
Charleston starter and RHP Jake Brink (L, 3-1) retired the next two batters he faced before junior catcher Canyon Brown hit a single off a 3-1 pitch to left field to score Dalton. Brown advanced to second on an error that occurred on the play. Junior infielder AJ Jones brought Brown home on an RBI double to give the Aggies a 2-0 lead before a Chet Sikes strikeout ended the inning.
A&T added another run in the third. Dalton led off the frame with an infield single, before senior Michael Logan reached on a fielder's choice that eliminated Dalton from the base paths. After Logan stole second, graduate Tatsunori Negishi singled to right to bring him home for a 3-0 Aggies lead.
Negishi aided the Aggies again in the sixth when he reached on an error and advanced to second another error. Brink retired the next two batters before Sikes brought Negishi home on an RBI single. The Aggies added their last run in the ninth on a ground out by senior TJ Ash as Jones scored after singling, advancing to second on a wild pitch and third on a sacrifice bunt.
Kilpatrick retired the Cougars in order to secure the win. Dalton and Jones went 2-for-4, and Jones drove in a run. Logan did see his eight-game winning streak end with an 0-for-4 Game 1. In Game 2, Logan saw his streak of reaching base end at nine straight. RHP Diego Barrett (L, 1-1) started Game 2, going five innings while giving up four runs on five hits and striking out one.
The Aggies did get off to a good starter against Game 2 starter and RHP Aidan Hunter (W, 2-1). After a Sikes infield single, Ash homered to right to give the Aggies a 2-0 lead in the visitor's second. It marked his second homer of the season and the sixth of his career. But the Cougars took the lead on a three-run home run from Will Baumhofer in the fifth.
Charleston added another run in the home sixth on an Avery Neaves solo shot that chased Barrett from the game for RHP Jake Delisi. Delisi retired the next three batters to get the Aggies out of the inning trailing 4-2. But Neaves was able to record a three-run double off Delisi in the seventh to complete the Cougars' scoring.
Dalton kept his hitting streak going in Game 2, increasing it to 11 games. He has now reached base safely in 18 straight games. Sikes went 2-for-3 in Game 2. The two teams will complete the three-game series Sunday at 1 p.m.
