NEWARK, Del. – The North Carolina A&T baseball team continued to blast home runs out of the ballpark on Saturday, but it was a seventh home run that helped to defeat the Aggies in a 10-7 Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) loss to the University of Delaware Blue Hens at Bob Hannah Stadium.
The Aggies got home runs from freshman JT Taylor and sophomore Jason Campo but still dropped to 13-24 overall and 8-6 in the CAA, which puts them in a third-place tie with William & Mary. UD received a crucial three-run homer in the Blue Hens seventh from LT Cockrill to improve to 20-17 overall and 7-7 in league play.
Looking to win the three-game CAA series, the Aggies got off to a solid start on Saturday against UD right-handed starter Tim Hartman. The Aggies loaded the bases in the second when freshman Savoi Edwards was hit by pitch, junior Andrew Tinsley singled and senior Enrique Wood reached base on an error with one out.
Junior Nick DiCarlo brought Edwards home when he grounded out to first before reigning CAA co-Rookie of the Week Bruce Wyche ripped a two-run single to left field to score Campo and Wood for a 3-0 A&T lead. The Aggies added to their lead in the visitor's third when Taylor led off the frame with a solo home run. It marked Taylor's seventh home run of the season. But the Blue Hens got going against A&T starter, junior RHP Gavin Sentell (L, 1-6) in the home third.
UD got a two-run double from Jackson Tyer and a two-run home run from Andrew Amato to tie the game 4-4. UD turned to LHP Ethan Shaub (W, 2-3) to open the fourth. Campo wasn't fazed. He opened the fourth by taking Shaub's 1-0 pitch over the fence for a solo shot, his fourth during the 2025 season.
Wyche followed with a single before Shaub walked freshman Tyler Smith and Taylor to load the bases with A&T freshmen for another freshman in Edwards. Edwards hit into a force play that eliminated Taylor from the base paths. Wyche did score on the play to give the Aggies a 6-4 lead.
However, the back-and-forth between the two teams continued in the Blue Hens fourth as they recaptured the lead. It would be a lead they never relinquished. A Brett Wamsley RBI single got the Blue Hens to within one, and an RBI sacrifice fly from Tyer tied the game at 6. Aiden Stewart's RBI single gave the Blue Hens the lead for good.
Shaub settled in, retiring the Aggies in order in the fifth and sixth innings. He retired the first two batters he faced in the seventh before senior Kristian Amaro singled, leading to RHP Dom Velazquez (S, 2) replacing him on the mound. Velazquez struck out Wood to move the Blue Hens to the crucial seventh.
Meanwhile, freshman RHP Taili Thompson pitched two scoreless innings for the Aggies before leaving in the sixth inning with two runners on as junior RHP Sean Duke entered the game. Duke got the Aggies out of the jam and remained on the mound going into the seventh. He gave a leadoff double to Evan Bouldin and walked Andrew Amato before Cockrill's home run to give the Blue Hens a 100-6 lead.
A&T got a run back in the eighth on a throwing error, but the Aggies went down in order in the ninth to even the series. Wyche led the Aggies by going 3-for-5 with two RBIs. The teams will conclude the series Sunday afternoon at 1.
