GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T softball has a thing for clutch hitting at home. That continued Thursday.
The Aggies secured their third walk-off win in 2024 from the Lady Aggies Softball Complex as senior Alyxx Estrada delivered a game-winning RBI double in the home seventh to lead the Aggies to a 3-2 win over the Stony Brook Seawolves. A&T improved to 12-34 overall and 6-19 in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play by beating one of the best teams in the conference. Stony Brook, who has already clinched a berth in the 2024 CAA Softball Championship Tournament, dropped to 32-15 overall and 17-8 in league play.
Another A&T senior, pitcher Kayla Douglas (W, 3-8), had one of her best career outings against one of the most formidable opponents she has faced from the circle. Douglas pitched a complete game, surrendering one earned run on five hits while striking out two. The Seawolves scored early against Douglas.
Kyra McFarland earned an infield single before Catherine Kupinski popped out for the second out of the inning. But McFarland stole second, and Corrine Badger singled up the middle to bring home McFarland, giving SBU a 1-0 advantage. Julianna Sanzone hit into a force play to end the inning.
Douglas pitched superbly from there. She tossed the second and third innings relatively unscathed. In the meantime, the Aggies produced offensively to help her. In the A&T second, graduate Brenay Howard singled with one out against SBU starter Mia Haynes (L, 13-7). Haynes stuck out freshman Trinity Glover before sophomore Katriel Williams roped a line drive over the outstretched glove of SBU center fielder Alicia Orosco for an RBI triple to tie the game at 1-1.
Senior Kayla Taylor followed with a groundball to shortstop. McFarland scooped the routine groundball but sailed her throw over the head of Badger at first base for a throwing error that allowed Williams to score to give the Aggies a 2-1 lead. Haynes walked sophomore Makayla Layton before the A&T threat ended with a ground out to short.
SBU looked to regain the lead in the fourth by putting two runners on against Douglas, but Emily Reinstein hit into a double play, helping the Aggies maintain the lead. The Seawolves did tie the score at 2-2 on a throwing error. SBU threatened again in the sixth inning when Naiah Ackerman hit a two-out double to left field. But pinch-hitter Sofia Chambers grounded out to keep the game tied going into the A&T sixth.
The Aggies stranded a runner at second in the sixth before Douglas retired the Seawolves in order in the visitor's seventh. Haynes secured a strikeout against Taylor to open the home seventh. But she hit Layton with a 1-1 pitch, setting the heroics from Estrada into motion. Estrada put her foot into a 3-2 pitch and ripped it down the left field line to score Layton for the winning run. It marked Estrada's 29th career double.
Estrada has a career-best 10 doubles this season, surpassing her previous best of nine during the 2021 season. SBU and A&T return for Game 2 on Friday for a 1 p.m. start from the Lady Aggies Softball Complex.
