GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T has hit a rough patch recently in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) baseball play. The Aggies will now need a strong finish to secure a berth in the 2025 CAA Baseball Championship Tournament after losing its seventh CAA game in the last eight contests with a 6-1 loss to the Campbell Fighting Camels Sunday at War Memorial Stadium.
A&T dropped to 15-31 overall and 9-12 in the CAA despite a gallant pitching effort from right-handed reliever Jacob Halford (L, 1-5). The Aggies have six CAA games remaining, three at home against the College of Charleston and three on the road against the top team in the league, Northeastern.
Meanwhile, the Camels took two out of three from the Aggies partly because they hit nine home runs over the weekend, including three on Sunday to improve to 20-26 overall and 11-10 in league play, keeping them in fifth place in the standings. The top six CAA teams, with consideration to tiebreakers, earn a berth in the conference tournament scheduled for May 21-24 at Charleston's Patriot Point ballpark.
Going into the series, the Aggies did not know who they wanted to start Game 3. The coaching staff decided on junior RHP Evan Hart. Hart pitched a scoreless first inning before the Aggies turned to Halford. He pitched magnificently for six straight innings before the Camels finally got to him in the visitors' eighth inning.
The Aggies certainly had their opportunities before the eighth inning. They left 13 runners on for the game. In the home third inning, the Aggies loaded the bases with one out behind singles from freshmen Tyler Smith and JT Taylor, and a walk surrendered to sophomore Jason Campo. But a pop-out and a strikeout ended the Aggies threat.
In the fourth, A&T put two on with one out after Campbell's left-handed starter Jake Murray walked senior Kristian Amaro and committed an error on a Nick DiCarlo groundball. However, the Aggies left two more on base with a foul out and strikeout. A&T finally broke through in the fifth, scoring the game's first run with two outs in the frame.
Junior Andrew Tinsley reached base on an error in the fifth. He stole second and eventually moved to third on a wild pitch before freshman Savoi Edwards brought him home with a rocket RBI double to left center field to put A&T ahead 1-0.
Meanwhile, Halford continued to roll as the game moved into the sixth inning. He gave up a leadoff single to Dalen Thompson, who eventually moved to second base on an error. But Halford ended the inning on a flyout and a strikeout, sending the game into the home sixth with the Aggies still leading. After Campo got stranded at second following a two-out double in the A&T sixth, the Camels finally got on the board.
Halford retired Charlie Meglio on a foul out and Andrew Schuldt on a pop-out before Jackson Thompson took Halford's 3-1 pitch over the right-field wall to tie the game 1-1. RHP David Rossow (W, 4-3) stepped on the bump in the A&T seventh and ended the inning on a double play. Rossow benefitted from that as the Camels put the game away in the eighth. Halford had six strikeouts going into the eighth and continued to look mighty to open the frame despite giving up a leadoff single to Darnell Parker.
Parker was eliminated from the base paths when Dalen Thompson hit into a double play, quickly putting two outs on the board. But a two-walk to Joe Morton proved crucial. Morton stole second and scored on an RBI single from Jonah Oster. Pinch-hitter Lukas Schramm stepped up and hit a two-run homer to left field to give the Camels a 4-1 advantage.
It ended Halford's terrific outing as senior RHP Diego Barrett replaced him. Barrett gave up a single but ended the frame on a strikeout. Campbell added two more runs in the ninth on a two-run homer from Dalen Thompson. Meanwhile, the Aggies stranded two runners in the eighth and two more in the ninth.
Smith led the Aggies by going 3-for-4. The Aggies will open their series against Charleston on Friday, May 9 at 6 p.m. from The War.
