Box score vs. SIU
Box Score vs. Elon
ELON, February 21, 2009 – The North Carolina A&T softball team lost a pair of games in the first day of the Elon Invitational. The Aggies lost the morning game 2-1 to Southern Illinois before dropping the afternoon contest 6-3 to Elon.

The Aggies suffered their first loss of the season in heartbreaking fashion. With the game tied at 1 going into the home half of the seventh, Aggies sophomore pitcher Jennifer Luper opened the inning by striking out Chelsea Held. Haley Gorman followed by earning an infield single.

Mallory Duran also reached on an infield single. Alicia Garza completed the hat trick by earning the Salukis third straight infield hit. Luper battled and eventually got Katie Wagner to fly out to put the Aggies one out away of forcing extra innings. But Kate Wilson singled the left side for an RBI single that scored Duran to give the Salukis the win.

The Aggies were led by junior Yahamma White, who had two hits and scored a run. The Aggies only run came in the third when Ryanne Hill scored White on an RBI single that tied the game. Luper (2-1) took the loss.

In the second game of the day, Channing Statham had two RBIs, but the Aggies offense got going late in the loss to the Phoenix. The Aggies trailed 6-0 going into the visiting half of the seventh.

Ashley Carter and Hill opened the inning with singles. With one out, Junior Lillian Bullock reached on a fielder’s choice and Carter reached third on an error. Junior Jessie Larson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded as Carter scored the Aggies first run. Statham stepped and hit a two-run RBI single to move the Aggies to within three. A Britney Reddick groundout, however, would end the game as Sasha Philpot (2-1) endured her first loss of the season.