Bullock hits her third home run in the last five games

Box Score
GREENSBORO, April 13, 2008 – The North Carolina A&T softball team sent an instant message to Florida A&M starter Melissa Oliphant. It was Oliphant who silenced the Aggie bats on Saturday in the second game of a doubleheader.

On Sunday, the Aggie bats made noise early and often. N.C. A&T scored six runs in the first inning and breezed its way to a 10-1 win at the Lady Aggies Softball Complex. Yahamma White led the Aggies with a 2-for-3 day that included a run scored and a RBI. Jessie Larson and Chaola Simmons had two RBIs apiece, and Lillian Bullock hit a three-run homer. It was the 24^th home run of Bullock’s career and her seventh homer of the season.

The Aggies (22-12-1, 5-1 MEAC) took two out of three from the Rattlers. The one game they didn’t, Oliphant pitched a complete game in which she gave up just three hits and no earned runs. Just before the first pitch was thrown on Sunday, Aggies head coach Mamie Jones told her team, “This is the same pitcher you faced yesterday.”

It was almost as if the Aggies had redemption on their minds from the outset. After Aggies starter Jennifer Luper gave up a first-inning run to the Rattlers on an Ashley Smith sacrifice fly that scored Rhianna Green, Aggie redemption became a reality.

Oliphant didn’t help herself as she opened her outing by walking Simmons. After a White single and a Rattlers error led to Tangie Conover reaching base, the Aggies had the bases loaded quickly for Larson. After sitting patiently through a few Oliphant curve balls, Larson reached out and went the other way to left field to score Simmons and White for a 2-1 Aggies lead.

Hill loaded the bases again with a one-out single, which led to Bianca Alsobrook hitting a sharp grounder to first for another single that scored Conover. Sylvia Felder kept the rally going with a single to center field to give the Aggies a 4-1 lead. Felder’s hit led to Oliphant’s day on the mound ending early as the Rattlers turned to Tiffany Chan.

She didn’t fair much better. Simmons, who has seen her batting average rise 28 points in the last week, delivered the final punch of the inning in her second plate appearance of the first. Simmons’ single to center scored Alsobrook and Hill for a 6-1 Aggies lead. The Aggies didn’t relax in the second. Bullock, who walked an incredible six times during the series, finally got a pitch to hit in the second.

She took the opportunity to blast a three-run homer that just missed reaching the heights of the American flag waving high on a flag pole in center field. Despite Bullock’s many walks, she has managed to hit three home runs in her last five games. Her homer in the second gave the Aggies a commanding 9-1 lead.

It was more than enough for Luper, who was her normal dominating self. She went five innings (mercy rule was enforced) did not give up an earned run and allowed just three hits to improve to 14-3 on the season.

The Aggies are back in action 2 p.m., Tuesday when they face Elon in a doubleheader at Lady Aggies Softball Complex.