Conover hits her third homer of the season

Box Score
GREENSBORO, May 3, 2009 – With numerous power hitters up and down the lineup, the North Carolina A&T softball team is known for its power. On Sunday, the Aggies played the kind of small ball that could help them be victorious in the upcoming MEAC Tournament.

Strategic hitting from program’s all-time home run leader Lillian Bullock led the Aggies to a 2-1 win over Bethune-Cookman in the regular-season finale. Ryanne Hill led the Aggies by going 2-for-3 with a run scored. Aggies starting pitcher Jennifer Luper pitched a complete game and struck out six to improve to 15-10 on the season.

With Sunday’s game tied at 1, Hill opened the Aggies fourth inning with an infield single. Clean-up hitter Tangie Conover, who is second on the team in RBIs, laid down a sacrifice but to move Hill into scoring position. Jessie Larson put runners on third and second when she singled and advanced to second on the throw home to stop Hill from scoring.

Bullock’s career slugging percentage is .656, so normally she is called on to drive in runs with her powerful bat. But this time, she put down a ground ball with excellent placement that gave the Wildcats only one play. Bullock was thrown out, but Hill scored to give the Aggies a 2-1 advantage.

Luper made the lead stand over the next three innings. She allowed the first two Wildcats to reach base in the sixth. The next two Wildcats struck out, and Luper got Briana Leverett to groundout to end the threat.

In the seventh, Luper gave up a two-out double to Ashton Hinds. But when Simone Ceaser grounded out to second, the Aggies had their regular-season end on a high note. The Aggies will now start preparation for the MEAC Tournament held in Ormond Beach, Fla., May 7-10.

The Aggies will go in as the No. 4 seed from the MEAC South. They will likely play Delaware State in an opening round game.

Before Sunday’s game, the Aggies honored their lone senior in Britney Hodges. Hodges has maintained a better than 3.8 grade point average throughout her collegiate career. The Aggies also honored Bianca Alsobrook for having the team’s highest GPA – a 3.85. After the two players were honored, N.C. A&T trailed early on Sunday as the Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the second.

But Conover returned the Aggies to their roots by blasting a home run over the left-field fence to tie the game. The Aggies improved to 24-21 overall and 5-7 in the MEAC.