MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – Senior North Carolina A&T infielder Kayla Taylor hit a grand slam home run, but the College of Charleston escaped Game 1 of a three-game Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) softball series with a 6-5 win at Patriots Point.
Even though Taylor hit her seventh career home run, the Aggies dropped to 9-31 overall and 3-16 in the CAA. The Cougars got a game-winning RBI sacrifice fly from Mia Dittoe in the sixth inning to improve to 9-30 overall and 3-16 in league play.
Charleston scored the game's first three runs off A&T graduate starter Kayla Douglas. Brooke Marquez's two-run RBI provided the Cougars a 3-0 lead after three innings. The Aggies had a response in the visitor's fourth. Charleston starter McKenna Kelly retired the first two batters she faced in the frame before walking A&T graduate Brenay Howard on four pitches.
Kelly also walked freshman Shandi Brown before freshman Trinity Glover loaded the bases with a single up the middle. It all set up Taylor's blast over the fence, giving the Aggies a 4-3 lead. Charleston regained the lead in its half of the fourth off A&T reliever Joey Barkhimer (L, 3-6).
Barkhimer hit Halle Cannon with a 1-0 pitch to open the inning. Cannon moved to second on a sac bunt before advancing to third on a wild pitch. One batter later, Dittoe singled through the left side to score Cannon and tie the game at 4-4. An error helped Dittoe advance to third before Savannah Lockhart brought her home with an RBI single to left.
In the fifth inning, Estrada walked but got caught stealing for the second out of the inning. Barkhimer popped out to end the inning. In the Cougars fifth, Barkhimer pitched around a two-out single to move the game to the sixth inning, with Charleston leading 5-4. A&T made a move toward tying the game in the sixth as Moss led off the frame with a double.
After Moss's double, the Cougars replaced Kelly with Payton Lemire (W, 5-8). After Lemire entered the game, Howard advanced Moss to third with a sac bunt. Moss then scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 5-5. A&T put the go-ahead run at first when Glover singled, but Taylor flew out to right, and freshman Avery Evans struck out to end the inning.
Dittoe's RBI sac fly was set up by Kaytlin Stacey, singling up the middle, stealing second, and moving to third on a fly out from Aniz Roman. Dittoe then took Barkhimer's 2-1 pitch to left field to score Stacey for the winning run.
The Aggies put the tying run on first in the seventh when Katriel Williams was hit with a 1-0 pitch. Lemire retired the next two Aggies to end the game. Moss went 2-for-4 for the Aggies with a run scored. Glover went 2-for-2, and Taylor had a 2-for-3 day, which included her grand slam. Marquez went 3-for-3 for the Cougars.
Charleston and A&T will play the second game of the series Saturday at noon.
