CHARLESTON, SC – North Carolina A&T Softball won its first Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) series of the season with a 4-1 win over the College of Charleston Sunday afternoon at Patriots Point. In taking two out of three from the Cougars, the Aggies improved to 11-31 overall and 5-16 in CAA action. Charleston fell to 9-32 overall and 3-18 in conference play.
A&T junior starting pitcher Joey Barkhimer (W, 4-6) pitched a complete-game four-hitter, giving up one run and striking out. She also did not walk a batter while throwing only 80 pitches. It marked her first complete-game win since pitching eight innings in a 1-0 win at Monmouth on April 7, 2023.
Barkhimer had a complete-game shutout going before Makala Belser hit a two-out home run in the home seventh. Charleston used a combination of pitchers to create a good pitcher's duel. Brooke Tranum (L, 0-1) got the start for the Cougars. She pitched 3.2 innings but did run into trouble in the visitor's fourth.
Freshman Jamari Moss led the inning off with a single, followed by a single from graduate Brenay Howard. Tranum earned the first out of the inning by striking out freshman Trinity Glover before walking freshman Destiny Sims to load the bases. Sophomore catcher Camryn Caldwell drove in the game's first run with an RBI sacrifice fly to center field to score Moss.
A hit-by-pitch reloaded the bases as sophomore Makayla Layton reached. Charleston replaced Tranum with McKenna Kelly, and Kelly got senior Alyxx Estrada to ground out to end the inning. But A&T added three more runs in the sixth off Kelly as Howard singled and Glover reached on an error. Sims loaded the bases with a single before a walk to Caldwell forced in a run, giving the Aggies a 2-0 lead.
Senior Kayla Taylor drove in two more runs with an RBI double to left, plating Glover and Sims before Caldwell was thrown out trying to advance to third. A walk to Estrada extended the inning. However, the Cougars received another break when Katriel Williams was called out on batter's interference before Barkhimer flew out to left to end the frame.
Meanwhile, in the circle, Barkhimer retired 13 straight batters between the second and sixth innings before surrendering a single to Kaytlin Stacey in the home sixth. A sac bunt moved Stacey to second, but it posted the second out of the inning. Mia Dittoe ended the inning by grounding out to shortstop.
After Barkhimer surrendered the home run to Belser, Brooke Marquez ended the game by flying out to right field. Howard and Sims led the Aggies. Howard went 2-for-4 with a run scored, and Sims went 2-fo-2 with a run scored.
A&T will remain on the road next weekend when the Aggies start a three-game series at Campbell. The first game is Friday evening at 5 from Amanda Littlejohn Stadium.
