GREENSBORO, NC North Carolina A&T got a walk-off, 3-2 win in game one and UNC Greensboro got three RBI from Whitney Miller in the Spartans' 4-3 game-two victory as the squads split a doubleheader at the Aggie Softball Complex on Thursday.
After the Aggies (19-15) got their first win in program history against the Spartans (18-22) in game one, UNCG quickly jumped on N.C. A&T starter Sasha Philpot (8-7) in game two. Freshman Jordan Jewett led off the game with a walk, and a steal and a wild pitch put her on third. Classmate Alex Emeterio walked to put runners at the corners, and Miller brought both of them in with a double to right center for an early 2-0 lead.
UNCG starter Cory Mattson (3-3) was perfect the first time through the Aggies' order, striking out the side in the third. But Yahamma White singled to center to lead off the fourth, breaking up the perfect game. After a sacrifice moved White to second, Ryanne Hill brought her in with a single to left and moved to third on a UNCG error. Tangala Conover followed with a single up the middle to bring in Hill, knotting the game at 2 apiece.
The Spartans wasted no time reclaiming the lead, getting a walk from Miller and an infield single from Katie Stripling with two outs to load the bases. Philpot then walked Kayla Hensley on four pitches to force in Emeterio with the go-ahead run.
UNCG added what would prove to be a necessary insurance run in the sixth, again loading the bases with two outs. Lyndsay Mouse walked, Whitney Sirois singled and Emeterio walked to bring up Miller, whose fielder's choice brought in Mouse when the Aggies were unable to get Sirois at third in time.
N.C. A&T attempted to recreate the seventh-inning magic of game one, but could only push one run across on a UNCG throwing error. Mattson got Ashley Carter to fly out to center to end the game.
Mattson allowed just three runs two earned on seven hits and one walk, striking out a career-high 10 batters. She struck out at least one batter in every inning.
Philpot struggled with her control, allowing four runs on 12 walks and five hits, striking out five.
Five different players accounted for UNCG's five hits in the game, while Mouse and Hensley had three walks each.
White, Conover and Jessie Larson had two hits each for the Aggies.
Game one saw the Aggies pick up their first win in 18 tries against the Spartans, as White led off the seventh with a single up the middle, and after a sacrifice and wild pitch moved her to third, Hill came through with a full-count single through the left side to score White with the winning run.
Just like in game two, UNCG jumped out to a 2-0 first-inning lead in game one, but that would be the last of the offense in the contest for the Spartans. Jewett and Miller drew consecutive walks to lead off the game, and a Mouse flyout to right moved both runners over. Mary Catherine Vercoe's groundout brought in Jewett with the game's first run, and Miller scored when White misplayed Emeterio's grounder at third.
The Aggies got a run back in the third, getting three straight two-out hits from White, Carter and Hill to score their first run of the day.
UNCG got back-to-back singles from Emeterio and Leslie Furness to lead off the fourth, and a sacrifice from Emily Akiyama moved both runners up a bag. Aggies starter Jennifer Luper was up to the challenge, however, getting a strikeout and a flyout to center to end the inning with no damage done.
The Spartans threatened again in the top of the sixth, but again stranded two runners. Furness drew a one-out walk and Akiyama followed with a single to right, but Luper struck out the next two batters to again skirt disaster.
N.C. A&T got the equalizer in its half of the sixth, loading the bases with no one out on three straight hits from Hill, Conover and Larson. The Spartans were able to gun down Hill at the plate on a grounder to short, and UNCG starter Hannah Angel struck out pinch-hitter Philpot for out No. 2. Angel got to two strikes on pinch-hitter Antoinette Torres, but a passed ball allowed Conover to score from third with the tying run.
Miller drew a one-out walk in the seventh, but Luper again struck out the final two batters to squash any thoughts of a Spartans rally before Hill's heroics in the bottom half sealed the win for the Aggies.
Hill finished the game 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI, while White and Carter had two hits each. UNCG again spaced out its hits, with Jewett, Emeterio, Furness and Akiyama accounting for the Spartans' four base knocks. Miller drew three walks in the game.
Angel fell to 10-9 on the year, allowing three runs on nine hits and a walk in 6.1 innings of work. She struck out a season-high 10, including two each in the second, third, fifth and sixth innings.
Luper improved to 11-7, allowing two runs one earned on four hits and five walks. She struck out eight.
The Spartans return to action this weekend at Georgia Southern, where they will face the Eagles for a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. and wrap up the three-game Southern Conference set with a single game at 1 p.m. Sunday.
AGATE
North Carolina A&T 3, UNC Greensboro 2 (Apr 16, 2009 at Greensboro, NC) (Game 1)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
UNC Greensboro...... 200 000 0 - 2 4 1 (17-22)
North Carolina A&T.. 001 001 1 - 3 9 2 (19-14)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Hannah Angel and Leslie Furness. North Carolina A&T - Jennifer Luper
and Jessie Larson.
Win-Jennifer Luper(11-7) Loss-Hannah Angel(10-9) T-2:04 A-0
Weather: 61 degrees and sunny
Game: UNCG4161
UNC Greensboro 4, North Carolina A&T 3 (Apr 16, 2009 at Greensboro, NC) (Game 2)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
UNC Greensboro...... 200 011 0 - 4 5 3 (18-22)
North Carolina A&T.. 000 200 1 - 3 7 0 (19-15)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: UNC Greensboro - Cory Mattson and Whitney Sirois. North Carolina A&T - Sasha Philpot
and Jessie Larson.
Win-Cory Mattson(3-3) Loss-Sasha Philpot(8-7) T-2:00 A-47
Weather: 64 degrees and sunny
Game: UNCG4162
