GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T senior starting pitcher Sharla Kirkpatrick (W, 4-11) did not overpower the UNC Wilmington Seahawks from the circle on Sunday. She made effective pitches and few mistakes, allowing an impressive defense behind her to do its job.
Freshman Jamari Moss provided the power, hitting a game-winning solo home run to center field in the fourth inning to lead the Aggies to a 2-1 win over the Seahawks at the Lady Aggies Softball Complex. Moss's home run and Kirkpatrick's excellence in the circle helped the Aggies avoid getting swept by UNCW. They improved to 9-29 overall and 3-15 in Coastal Athletic Association action. UNCW is 23-16 overall and 13-5 in league play.
Kirkpatrick pitched her eighth complete game of the season. She gave up one run on six hits without a strikeout in seven innings. Kirkpatrick did not walk a batter, forced 14 groundball outs, and threw only 95 pitches. Her counterpart in the circle, UNCW's Carrigan Ewers posted nine strikeouts without walking a batter.
A&T broke through the pitcher's duel in the second inning. Graduate Brenay Howard opened the frame with a single to left field. Howard advanced to second on a stolen base. Two batters later, freshman Avery Evans singled to right to score Howard for a 1-0 A&T lead.
The Seahawks got the run back in the visitor's third. Jentri Meadows opened the inning with a single before being replaced on the base paths by pinch runner Ava Tsiouplis. Tsiouplis stole second base to move into scoring position. She advanced to third on a Madison Briddle groundout to shortstop before Tayler Vitola hit an RBI single to right to score Tsiouplis.
After stealing second, Moss, the Aggies catcher, threw out Vitola, who was trying to steal third, for the second out of the inning. Moss's laser throw proved vital after Cassidy Relay and Mary Sobataka singled off Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick escaped the inning when Morgan Britt grounded out to short. Kirkpatrick also pitched around a two-out single in the fourth before Moss led off the Aggies fourth with her game-winning homer.
Kirkpatrick gave up a hit in the fifth and hit a batter in the sixth, but both runners were stranded. In the seventh, Kirkpatrick retired the Seahawks in order, ending UNCW's six-game winning streak. Aside from Moss's home run, the Aggies only other extra-base hit came from Joey Barkhimer, who doubled.
A&T will not return home for two weeks. The Aggies will play a three-game series at the College of Charleston, April 19-21, before playing at Campbell, April 26-28. They return home for their regular-season three-game series finale against Stony Brook, May 2-4.
