HEMPSTEAD, NY – North Carolina A&T had a rough first inning against the defending Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) champions, Hofstra Pride, and never recovered, losing 9-1 in five innings at Bill Edwards Stadium on Friday. The Aggies dropped to 8-24 overall and 2-11 in conference play. Hofstra is 11-17 overall and 9-4 in league play.
Hofstra took hold of a 9-0 lead after the home first against A&T starter Sharla Kirkpatrick (L, 3-10). The inning included a two-run RBI single from Mackenzi Fitzgerald and a three-run double from Chelsea Manto. Gianna Iaquinto added an RBI sacrifice fly and Olivia Malinowski had an RBI double.
Junior Amaya Kearse replaced Kirkpatrick after the Fitzgerald two-run single. The Pride had some success against Kearse in the first, but she settled in and pitched well afterward. She allowed one hit in the second and retired the Pride in order in the third.
Meanwhile, the job of the Aggies offense was to avoid the run rule that ends the game after five if a team is trailing by eight runs or more. An extension of the game would give A&T more opportunities to rally. A&T's best chances of that came in the fourth inning. The frame started with Hofstra replacing left-handed starter Julia Apsel (W, 10-5) with Marissa Ogden. Sophomore Makayla Layton hit a one-out single off Ogden before graduate Brenay Howard's single sent Layton to third.
But the Aggies lost a key base runner when Hofstra threw out Howard, who was trying to steal second. Junior Joey Barkhimer did deliver a two-out, two-run single to left, but the threat ended when sophomore Katriel Williams struck out.
Kearse pitched out of a jam in the Hofstra fourth before the game entered the fifth. Freshman Jamari Moss led off with a single before a strikeout, and a sacrifice bunt put two outs on the board and placed Moss on second. After senior Alyxx Estrada walked, the game ended on an Avery Evans pop-out.
Layton and Barkhimer each had two hits. Aliya Catanzarita went 3-for-3 for the Pride. The two teams continue their three-game series on Saturday, with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
