Luper strikes out six

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NORFOLK, Va., April 25, 2009 – On two separate occasions, the North Carolina A&T softball team had trouble obtaining the final out in an inning, which hurt the Aggies in a 3-1 loss to Norfolk State Saturday afternoon at NSU Softball Field. The Aggies also lost the second game of the doubleheader 8-0.

Yahamma White and Ryanne Hill had two hits apiece for the Aggies. Hill added a RBI to her totals. Jennifer Luper (11-9) took the loss despite striking out six.

N.C. A&T took an early 1-0 in the third. White led the charge with a single down the right field line. Freshman Ashley Carter moved White into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Ryanne Hill, the MEAC leader in RBIs, came to the plate and hit a RBI double down the left field line to score White.

Norfolk State tied the score in the fourth as Danielle Wright walked, stole second and came home on a Meghan Ramsey single. Amelia Lewis moved Ramsey into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Luper got Alyssa Velazquez to pop up to the catcher for the second out in the inning. But Candice Vasquez came up with a two-out RBI single to right field to give the Spartans a 2-1 lead.

In the fifth, Norfolk State’s Rebecca Barnes hit a two-out single to right field. Wright also singled to put runners and first and second. Ramsey kept the two-out rally going by singling to center field to score pinch-runner Casey Pomeroy for a two-run Spartan advantage.

The Aggies only had one other base runner over the final two innings as Velazquez earned the victory. In the second game, White and Hill had a hit apiece. The two schools play again 1 p.m., Sunday at NSU Softball Field. The Aggies are 19-19 overall and 3-5 in the MEAC.