GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T's pitching turned in a spectacular performance on Wednesday afternoon in a non-conference softball contest against crosstown rival UNC Greensboro at the Lady Aggies Softball Complex. Unfortunately, the Spartans finally broke through in the visitor's seventh inning to earn a 4-1 win over the Aggies.
A&T dropped to 8-23 on the season. The Aggies will travel to Hempstead, NY, to face defending Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) champion Hofstra in a three-game series starting Friday at 5 p.m. UNCG improved to 23-14. The Spartans got there with a struggle.
Graduate A&T pitcher Kayla Douglas pitched six marvelous innings, giving up one run on three hits while walking four and striking out five. It was her best outing of the season and one of the best of her career. Douglas retired the first five Spartans she faced before giving up a walk to Tori Dalehite. She recovered by getting Madelyn McKinnon to pop out.
Brooklynn Maxwell finally got a hit off Douglas with a two-out single in the third. Maxwell eventually stole second, and Douglas walked Grace Loftin to put runners on first and second. But Meredith Harwood popped out to third to end the Spartans' threat. UNCG did break through with a run in the fourth inning as Jorde Chartrand led off the frame with a double. Salem Ward replaced Chartrand on the base paths as a pinch runner before Dalehite hit an RBI single to center field to score Ward for a 1-0 UNCG lead.
On the other side of Wednesday's pitcher's duel, Ward (6-2), who doubled as the Spartans starting pitcher, had a no-hitter going into the A&T sixth inning. Senior second baseman Alyxx Estrada ended those hopes with a leadoff double. Ward then hit sophomore Makayla Layton with a 1-2 pitch to put two Aggies on.
Graduate Brenay Howard moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt before junior Joey Barkhimer ripped a single to left field. Estrada scored quickly, but when Layton tried to score from second, Dalehite relayed a throw into third baseman Jessie Shipley, who rocketed a throw to McKinnon at home plate.
McKinnon tagged out Layton for the second out of the inning. The inning continued with Ward hitting freshman Trinity Glover with a 1-2 pitch. But Ward did get freshman Jamari Moss to fly out to center to end the inning, sending the game into the seventh tied at 1-1.
Barkhimer (L, 3-5) entered the circle for the Aggies and gave up a home run to Shipley on a 3-1 pitch to give UNCG the lead back. After Maxwell reached on an error, Grace Lofton hit a two-run homer to put the Spartans ahead by three runs. Junior Amaya Kearse replaced Barkhimer in the circle and retired the next two Spartans. Dalehite doubled off of Kearse, but Blayke Batten grounded out to short to end the UNCG rally.
With two outs in the home seventh, Ward walked freshman Destiny Sims before getting Estrada to ground out to end the game.
