Conover goes 4-for-4 in second game

Box Score     Box Score 2
GREENSBORO, April 6, 2007 – A crucial stretch of conference games didn’t start the way the North Carolina A&T softball team wanted. The Aggies were swept by Norfolk State on Saturday, 2-0 and 11-8 to fall to 18-23 overall and 4-2 in the MEAC.

The Aggies will have a week off before heading into the MEAC Roundup in Lexington, S.C, April 13-15. There, they will play six conference games that will go a long way in deciding where they’re seeded for the MEAC Tournament May 11-13.

On Friday, the Aggies had one big inning the whole afternoon and it came in the third inning of the second game. Trailing 6-0, the Aggies scored seven runs in the third with every run coming with two outs.

Yahamma White got things started with a single up the middle. Channing Statham followed with another single that led to Jessie Larson’s RBI single that put the Aggies on the board for the first time in 9.2 innings. Tangala Conover added to the Aggies rally with a three-run blast that closed the Aggies to within two runs, 6-4.

An infield single by Lillian Bullock kept the inning alive as Chaola Simmons followed with another single to put runners on first and second. Both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch, leading to Tabitha Veney’s two-run RBI double to left that tied the game at 6. The rally ended with a rare site – a Sasha Philpot at-bat.

Philpot, who usually only handles the Aggies pitching duties, batted three times on Friday. What turned out to be her second at-bat in the third turned into an RBI single that scored Veney to give the Aggies the lead. Philpot, however was thrown out at second to end the inning. Norfolk State tied the game at 7 in the third, but Statham would hold the Spartans down for two consecutive innings. Philpot, who surrendered just two runs and four hits as the Game 1 starter, stepped on the mound in the sixth.

Unfortunately, this time the Spartans were able to hit off of her more. Philpot retired the first batter, but Jewel Wright tripled to right field, and Jennifer Morrison singled up the middle to give the Spartans an 8-7 lead. Gladys Cabeza started adding the insurance runs when she earned an infield single. Philpot loaded the bases when she walked Leekycia Brown. After a force play at home eliminated Wright, Eure’s single scored Cabeza for a 9-7 lead. Eure would score on a passed ball and Petway stole home to cap off the Spartans four-run sixth inning.

An RBI sacrifice fly by Philpot in the seventh was not enough. Philpot was 1-for-3 with two RBI in her offensive debut. Conover was 4-for-4 in the second game with three RBI and two runs scored. Veney finished with two hits and two RBI.

The offense, however, didn’t produce enough big hits in the first game. The Aggies left 10 runners on base. Jessie Larson did have two hits in the first game. The Spartans scored both their runs on throwing errors. The Aggies did bring the tying run to the plate in the seventh thanks to an Adia Dial single.

But Larson flied out and Conover grounded out to end the game. Philpot lost both games and dropped to 11-8 on the season.