Softball | 2/8/2026 6:57:00 PM

MACON, Ga. – North Carolina A&T concluded its three-day stay at the Heart of Georgia Classic softball tournament hosted by Mercer University with an 11-2 loss to the Mercer Bears in six innings at Sikes Field on Sunday.

The Aggies went 0-2 against the Bears in the tournament but finished 2-3 overall in their season-opening tournament. Junior Destiny Sims led the Aggies throughout the tournament by going 6-for-17 (.353). Freshman Ava McCauley, playing for the first time in the tournament, had a two-run RBI single on Sunday.

Junior Aaliyah Williams (L, 1-1) got the start for A&T and went into the home half of the fourth inning with a 2-1 lead thanks to her teammates getting her the lead in the visitor's fourth. A&T's rally in the fourth inning started with junior Jamari Moss reaching base on an error with one out. Mercer starting pitcher Madison Starr then walked sophomore Jaden James to put the Aggies on first and second.
Starr got junior Trinity Glover to pop out to put the Bears on the verge of ending the inning. However, freshman Taniyah Thomas walked on five pitches to load the bases for McCauley.

McCauley's first career base hit went to left center field, allowing Moss and James to score to give A&T its 2-1 advantage.

Going into the bottom of the fourth, Williams had surrendered only two hits while striking out five. But Mercer's Grace Jones opened the Mercer fourth with a single before Williams hit Charlotte Bentley with a pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs. Williams struck out Jessie Taylor for the first out in the inning, but Jones and Bentley still advanced to put runners on second and third.

That led to Rachel Sysum producing an RBI single to left field to score Jones to tie the game 2-2. Megan Loughren followed with another RBI single to give the Bears the lead for good. Isabel Fernandez hit into a fielder's choice, which allowed Bentley to score to give the Bears a 4-2 lead, even though it led to the second out in the inning. Sophomore Lauren Hardy replaced Williams in the circle, but the scoring did not stop. Meredith Wayland closed out the scoring in the frame by hitting a two-run homer to center field to give Mercer a 6-2 lead going into the fifth inning.

Cate Raines added an RBI double in the fifth for Mercer before the Bears ended the game with a four-run sixth inning, triggering the run-rule, which ends collegiate softball games when a team trails by eight or more after the fifth inning. Mariyah Sanchez hit a grand slam in the sixth inning to lead the Bears with four RBIs.

The Aggies will head home to prepare for the home opener this week. A&T will host the Western Carolina Catamounts in a 1 p.m. doubleheader from the Lady Aggies Softball Complex.