GREENSBORO— On Friday, UNC Wilmington figured out a way to slow down North Carolina A&T's impressive offense, handing the Aggies their first weekend loss of the season at War Memorial Stadium with a 9-3 Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) baseball win over A&T.
A&T came into the game 9-0 in weekend series games at home. The Aggies also had reigning CAA pitcher of the week on the mound in senior right-hander Coley Kilpatrick (L, 3-1). But unlike most teams this season, the Seahawks got to Kilpatrick early. Alec DeMartino homered off Kilpatrick, driving in two runs to give UNCW a 2-0 lead after the visitor's first inning.
The Aggies tried to respond in their half of the first. Junior Shemar Dalton extended his streak for reaching base safely to 21 straight games when UNCW starter and RHP RJ Sales (W, 5-1) hit him with a pitch. Dalton went 0-for-2 the rest of the way, snapping his 13-game hitting streak, which was the longest of the season by an Aggie.
After Dalton reached first, Tatsunori Negishi walked with one out to put Aggies on first and second. But junior catcher Canyon Brown hit into a double play to end the threat. A&T had better luck in the home second as junior Chet Sikes earned a one-out walk before a pitch hit senior outfielder TJ Ash.
Junior infielder Enrique Wood singled to center field to score Sikes as Sikes beat the throw home to put him out. Wood tried to advance to second on the play but was thrown out. Ash hustled his way to third to third and eventually scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 2-2.
UNCW quickly retook control of the game in the visitor's third on another home run. John Newton hit a three-run homer to give the Seahawks a 5-2 lead. Kilpatrick kept the Seahawks scoreless over the next two innings before being replaced to start the sixth by sophomore RHP Brock Duff. Kilpatrick finished the game with five strikeouts.
The Seahawks kept the home runs coming when Bryan Arendt hit a solo shot in the sixth. Kevin Jones added an RBI in the inning to give UNCW a 7-2 lead. UNCW added a run apiece in the eighth and the ninth before Ash earned an RBI double in the ninth inning to close out the scoring for A&T. A Wood popout ended the game.
Tanner Thach led the Seahawks by going 3-for-5. The two teams play again on Saturday, with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. The Aggies will celebrate the 1974 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship team.
