JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – North Carolina A&T could not quite pull off a ninth-inning comeback in the first game of a non-conference baseball doubleheader against the Jacksonville University Dolphins, losing the game 11-7 at John Sessions Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
In Game 2, the Aggies ran into solid pitching from Dolphins right-hander Colin Rothermel (W, 2-2) in a 6-0 loss to Jacksonville.
Jacksonville's doubleheader sweep of A&T on Saturday, coupled with its win on Friday, gives the Dolphins the series sweep. The Dolphins end the weekend 8-7, while A&T falls to 3-10. Rothermel pitched seven innings, striking out eight, walking none, and surrendering only four hits.
A&T's pitching was not too shabby. Junior RHP Gavin Sentell started Game 2 for the Aggies. He pitched two scoreless innings, striking out for and giving up three hits. Even though he took the loss, Northern Guilford High School graduate and senior RHP Jacob Halford (L, 0-2) threw two solid innings, giving up one run on two hits and a walk. He recorded three strikeouts.
Junior RHP Sean Duke pitched the Aggies out of a seventh-inning jam, striking out one. The Dolphins did put together a five-run eighth inning, turning a 1-0 game into a 6-0 contest. The Aggies put two runners in the visitor's ninth with one out. But Jacksonville RHP Nick Anello struck out the last two batters he faced to secure the Game 2 win.
In Game 1, the Aggies took a 3-1 in the top of the fourth as freshman Bruce Wyche led off with a single to right field, followed by an RBI double from junior Andrew Tinsley. Senior Enrique Wood brought Tinsley home with an RBI single to left off Jacksonville starter, RHP Blake Barquin (W, 2-2).
The Aggies had a chance for more in the inning. Wood stole second and eventually landed on third. Freshman Nick DiCarlo reached and went to second on a wild pitch before the inning ended with an AJ Jones groundout.
Jacksonville added a run in the home fourth on an RBI single from Chandler Howard off A&T starter, junior RHP Matt Murtagh (L, 0-1). The Dolphins recaptured the lead in their fifth thanks to a four-run frame that included a three-run home run from Jaden Bastian.
Bastian's two-run homer in the sixth, followed by an RBI single from Josh Steidl gave the Dolphins a 9-3 advantage. The Dolphins tacked on two more runs in the seventh and entered the ninth inning with an eight-run lead.
A&T's offense started cooking again in the ninth. It started with a one-out solo home run from freshman JT Taylor, the first of his career. RHP Caleb Freeman then walked sophomore pinch-hitter Ellis Reid before freshman pinch-hitter Savoi Edwards blasted a two-run homer to center field to cut Jacksonville's lead to 11-6.
It marked Edwards' first career home run. The Aggies were not finished hitting balls out of the park as sophomore Jason Campo gave the Aggies back-to-back home runs with a shot over the left-center field wall to get the Aggies to within four. It was career home run No. 2 for Campo.
The hit parade ended there, however. Freeman struck out Wood before LHP Kyle Powers entered the game to strike out junior Luis Gomez to end the game.
The Aggies will travel to Raleigh on Tuesday to face the N.C. State Wolfpack at 6 p.m. from Doak Field. They will start a three-game series with Gate City rival UNC Greensboro on Friday at 6 p.m. at UNCG Baseball Stadium.
