CARY, NC – Unfortunately, a disappointing 4-3 loss to rival North Carolina Central University (NCCU) came down to too many defensive mistakes for the North Carolina A&T softball team on Wednesday at Thomas Brooks Park.
A&T tied a season-high with five errors. Those mishaps dampened perhaps the best pitching performance of the season for sophomore Aaliyah Willams (L, 1-5). Williams pitched eight dynamic innings, giving no earned runs, striking out five, walking three and surrendering eight hits.
Junior Katriel Williams improved her hitting streak to nine games by going 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Sophomore Jamari Moss had A&T's other two hits as the Aggies dropped to 5-17 on the season.
NCCU's Jaden Davis (W, 3-8) also pitched well in the circle on Wednesday. She pitched a complete-game four-hitter, striking out 10, walking three and surrendering one earned run. Davis helped the Eagles improve to 3-20.
A&T took a 3-1 lead into the home half of the eighth inning after scoring two runs in the visitor's first. Per extra-inning rules in collegiate softball, the Aggies placed a runner on second to open the inning.
Sophomore Trinity Glover made the final out of the seventh inning. Therefore, she was placed at second.
After a fly out to right field by freshman Tyra Robinson, sophomore pinch-hitter Avery Evans walked to put Aggies at first and second. Glover then made a play for third base with a steal attempt. A throwing error trying to throw her out allowed Glover and Evans to advance to third base.
After a strikeout, Katriel Williams, who is batting .403 this season, doubled home Evans to give the Aggies a two-run advantage. Davis earned a strikeout after a walk to Moss to help the Eagles escape any further damage.
In the Eagles' eighth, Elena Krupey was placed at second. Still, Aaliyah Williams proceeded to retire the first two batters she faced, and it appeared headed toward victory before a throwing error on a routine play allowed Krupey to score Daiyah Bailey to reach first base.
Davis helped herself by taking advantage of the throwing error with an RBI triple to tie the game before a pop-out ended the inning.
After senior Joey Barkhimer went to second to open the ninth, Davis retired the Aggies in order, leading to a ninth inning that would end quickly. After Makiya Graves went to second to open the frame, a throwing error allowed her to score the winning run. Cameron Frye led the Eagles with three hits.
The Eagles got on the board first in the third inning on an RBI sacrifice fly from Takia Nichols. The Aggies answered in the fourth inning as Katriel Williams singled, went to second on a stolen base, and to third on a wild pitch before a Lauren Hardy groundball brought her home to tie the game at 1-1.
Aaliyah Williams stranded Frye at second base in the seventh inning to send the game into extra innings. The Aggies will open a three-game Coastal Athletic Association series at the Lady Aggies Softball Complex on Friday, starting at 2 p.m. Game 2 on Saturday and Game 3 on Sunday start at 1 p.m.
A&T will celebrate Alumni Softball Weekend.
