Box Score
GREENSBORO, April 1, 2009 -- Rain outs and re-scheduled games have forced the North Carolina A&T to play a lot of games in a short amount of time. There is a good news and bad news factor to that type of rigorous schedule.

The Aggies have had to use a lot of pitching during the week, but the young offense has also been able to get multiple at-bats and it has paid off.

On Wednesday afternoon at War Memorial Stadium, N.C. A&T recorded 15 hits in a 12-9 loss to Wofford. Freshman Xavier Macklin led the Aggies by going 4-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs. George Hines, Eric Chiz, Lester Rivenbark, Nick Rogers and Carvell Copeland had two hits apiece and Rivenbark and Chiz added two RBIs apiece.

N.C. A&T has played four games in five days. Over those four games, the Aggies have pounded out 45 hits and scored 28 runs. It should be great preparation for the Aggies crucial three-game series against conference rival Bethune-Cookman this weekend at War Memorial Stadium.

The Aggies showed how dangerous their offense can be after falling behind 9-4 to the Terriers. A Rogers double in the sixth inning led to run as Rivenbark grounded out to shortstop to score Rogers from third after Rogers reached third on a wild pitch.

After the Terriers added a run in the seventh, the Aggies continued their rally. A Macklin single and a C.J. Beatty walked put runners on first and second to start the seventh. Rivenbark came through with another RBI as he singled to center field to score Macklin for a 10-6 Aggies deficit. Chiz cut the lead to 10-8 on a two-run RBI double to right center field. Hines appeared ready to add more runs, but his hard-hit line drive to left field was caught.

The Terriers scored a run apiece in the eighth and the ninth to push their lead back to four runs. N.C. A&T would try to mount one more surge in the home half of the ninth. Rogers led off the ninth by walking and he moved to second on a passed ball. A bloop single to left field by Rivenbark put runners on first and third with no outs.

Marquis Riley’s fielder’s choice to shortstop scored Rogers from third to cut the Terriers’ lead to three. Chiz kept the inning going with a single to put two runners on with one out. For a few seconds, it looked as if Cyril Daniel had tied the game with a blast to deep center field. But Daniel’s launch was caught at the warning track for the second out of the inning. A groundout by Jaron Neal would end the game as the Aggies dropped to 7-17 overall.

The Aggies three-game series with the Wildcats starts 1 p.m., Saturday at WMS. There will be two games on Saturday and the two teams will resume the series Sunday afternoon at 1.