GREENSBORO — Stony Brook University outfielder Alyssa Costello stunned an enthusiastic North Carolina A&T softball crowd at the Lady Aggies Softball Complex on Friday when she hit a two-run home run in the visitor's seventh to lead the Seawolves to a 4-3 win over A&T in Coastal Athletic Association softball action. 

Costello's homer was such a stunner because the Aggies had tremendous momentum going into the seventh after graduate outfielder Brenay Howard gave the Aggies the lead going into the seventh with a solo home run to center field. Howard's home run put A&T in a position to upset the Seawolves for the second straight game after the Aggies came into the weekend out of contention for a tournament berth in the 2024 CAA Softball Championship Tournament. Meanwhile, the Seawolves went into the weekend looking to improve their conference tournament seeding. 

But the Seawolves opened the seventh with a single up the middle against A&T graduate pitcher Kayla Douglas (L, 3-9). Costello and Douglas battled to a 2-2 afterward before Costello made a mighty swing on a pitch Douglas got up a little too high. SBU put two additional runners on base in the seventh before Douglas got Corrine Badger to fly out to right field and Julianna Sanzone to strike out. 

SBU reliever Ashton Melaas (W, 9-3) retired the Aggies in order to secure the win for the Seawolves in the seventh. It was a disappointing loss for an A&T team that has played so well throughout the weekend. After falling behind 1-0 to the Seawolves after the visitor's second, the Aggies captured the lead off SBU starter Gabrielle Maday. 

Junior Joey Barkhimer hit a pop fly in the perfect spot that dropped between the circle, first base, and second base to place her on first base for freshman Jamari Moss, who blasted her fifth home run of the season to give the Aggies a 2-1 lead. A&T maintained that lead thanks in part to A&T starting pitcher Amaya Kearse. Kearse gave up one hit between the third and fifth innings to keep the Aggies ahead. 

But Kyra McFarland led off the SBU sixth with an infield single. McFarland advanced into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt before Badger recorded the second out of the inning by fouling out to left field. Unfortunately for A&T, Sanzone delivered a clutch two-out RBI single to right center to score McFarland and tie the game at 2-2. 

Douglas replaced Kearse in the circle after the base hit and got Emily Reinstein to hit into a force play, sending the game into the home sixth, where Howard recaptured the lead for A&T before Costello's heroics. The two teams will play the series finale from the Lady Aggies Softball Complex on Saturday at noon. A&T will celebrate Senior Day before the game.