GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T lost the first game of a three-game Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) softball series on Friday, 6-1, to Piedmont Triad rival Elon at the Lady Aggies Softball Complex.
The Aggies produced five hits on Friday, including freshman Ayanna Mears going 2-for-3 as A&T fell to 10-32 overall and 2-17 in CAA play. Elon received a 15-strikeout performance from starter McKenna McCard (W, 9-3) to improve to 23-15 overall and 15-4 in league play.
McCard pitched a complete-game five-hitter without giving up an earned run. Her counterpart, senior Joey Barkhimer (L, 4-14) pitched six solid innings, striking out four before getting into a jam in the visitor's seventh inning. Barkhimer also ran into some trouble in the Elon second after A&T sophomore Destiny Sims gave the Aggies a 1-0 lead in the home first with an RBI sacrifice fly to left, scoring Katriel Williams who reached on a three-base error.
Elon, however, posted three runs in the second. Three A&T errors helped the Phoenix score its first two runs. Kaitlyn Wells helped the Phoenix take a 3-1 lead with an RBI single as all three runs against Barkhimer in the second were unearned.
Barkhimer gave up a double in the third and another in the fourth but remained strong for the Aggies in the circle, keeping the Phoenix from expanding its lead. After walking Teagan Baulsir to open the fifth, Barkhimer got Chloe Hatzopoulos to hit into a double play before ending the frame by striking out Mary Moss Wirt.
Following the visitor's fifth, A&T tried to stage its rally against McCard in its fifth inning. Katriel Williams produced a one-out single before pinch-hitter Avrell Harrell reached on an error. A Sims strikeout put McCard one out from ending the threat.
But Mears reached on an infield single to load the bases for sophomore Trinity Glover. Glover grounded out to short, allowing the Phoenix to maintain its three-run lead. Barkhimer continued to pitch well, keeping the Aggies within three before the visitor's seventh. An A&T error and a single led to Barkhimer having her outing in the circle ended.
Freshman Lauren Hardy replaced her and faced Payton Swart with two runners on. Swart laid down a sac bunt, putting both Phoenix runners in scoring position. Wells scored on a fielder's choice, and Wirt produced an RBI squeeze bunt to score Gabi Schaal to give the Phoenix a 6-1 lead. Hardy struck out Hartley to take the game into the home seventh.
Sophomore Avery Evans reached on an error but was eliminated from the base paths on a force play. McCard retired the next two batters to lead Elon to the win.
The two teams play again on Saturday at 1 p.m. Before the game, the Aggies will honor the 1979 A&T softball Division I championship team by unveiling their championship banner.
