AGGIES LOSE IN BATTLE OF UNBEATENSPhilpot does not surrender an earned run
Box Score 1
Box Score 2
TALLAHASSEE, Fla., April 11, 2009 –
The
North Carolina A&T softball team received plenty of solid pitching, but
could not overcome some defensive lapses as Florida A&M defeated the
Aggies 3-1 in the second game of a Saturday doubleheader played at the
Lady Rattlers Softball Complex.
N.C. A&T lost the first game 10-2. The Aggies managed just five hits in the second game with Lillian Bullock coming away with the only RBI. In the first game, Bullock recorded two RBIs and had two hits. Junior Jessie Larson added two more hits and scored twice.
Junior Sasha Philpot had a solid performance in Game 2. The Stone Mountain, Ga., native pitched six innings, surrendered just five hits, did not give up an earned run and struck out one. After falling down 1-0 to the Rattlers, Philpot’s teammates evened the score in the fourth inning.
Bullock, the Aggies all-time leader in home runs, had her home run swing finally pay off dividends with a blast over the left-center field fence. It was Bullock’s 25th career home run.
But a lead-off walk and a single in the Rattlers’ half of the fifth started what would lead to two crucial FAMU runs. A single to left field by Megan Moore led to a throwing error from the outfield that allowed Mel Oliphant to score for a 2-1 Rattlers lead. An Aggies error on a Joyce Herald groundball led to another Rattlers run as Brian Weaver scored to give the Rattlers a two-run lead.
The Aggies tried to mount a rally in the sixth. Larson singled up the middle and went to third on a Rattlers throwing error. But Rattlers reliever Amanda Reyes struck out back-to-back Aggies to end the threat. In fact, Reyes struck out four of the final five Aggies she faced to seal the game.
The two losses ended the Aggies eight-game winning streak and dropped them to 18-13 overall and 3-2 in the conference. Meanwhile, the Rattlers (17-25) were able to stay undefeated in the conference at 5-0. The two teams will play again Sunday at the Lady Rattlers Softball Complex, starting at noon.