Aggies Sweep Doubleheader vs. Northeastern

GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T hit an incredible offensive surge in the first game of a Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) baseball doubleheader against Northeastern on Friday afternoon at War Memorial Stadium, defeating the Huskies 13-5. In the second game, A&T right-handed starter Angel Ortiz (W, 3-3) had his best outing of the season to lead the Aggies to the doubleheader sweep, 4-2.

Anticipating inclement weather throughout the weekend, the two teams decided to play a twin bill on Friday. The Aggies improved to 23-23 overall and 7-13 in the CAA by sweeping the doubleheader. In addition, the Game 1 win snapped a five-game A&T losing streak. Northeastern, who came into the weekend series competing for a No. 1 seed in the 2024 CAA Baseball Championship Tournament, dropped to 31-13 overall and 13-7 in league play.

After tying a season-high with 19 hits in the first game, the Aggies turned to Ortiz in the second game. He pitched six innings, surrendering only six hits and one run while striking out a career-high eight batters in 100 pitches thrown. Ortiz pitched around a leadoff single in the visitor’s first inning from Luke Beckstein before the Aggies gave him run support in the home first.

Huskies left-handed starter Jack Bowery (L, 3-1) opened the frame by hitting graduate first baseman with a 1-1 pitch before senior Tre Williams singled. junior catcher Canyon Brown moved both players into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Senior outfielder TJ Ash scored Negishi by grounding out to second.

Two strikeouts helped Ortiz escape the second despite giving up a single. A&T also exited the third inning without any runs scored after the Huskies opened the frame with back-to-back singles. Ortiz received more help from his offense in the home third. Williams hit a two-out triple before Brown brought him home with an RBI single, giving the Aggies a 2-0 lead.

In the fifth, Northeastern finally got a run against Ortiz, but the Aggies regained their two-run advantage on a solo home run from Ash. He has a career-high four home runs this season and eight for his career. The visitor’s seventh opened with LHP Stirling Thomas, who surrendered a walk to Chris Walsh. Northeastern put runners on first and second after Thomas hit Beckstein with a 2-2 pitch.

A&T turned to RHP Brock Duff on the mound. But the Huskies still loaded the bases with a walk before Duff hit Tyler McGregor with a 3-2 pitch to force in a run, cutting A&T’s lead to 3-2. However, Duff recovered and struck out the next three Huskies to help A&T maintain the lead.

A&T added to its lead in the seventh with a solo home run from Negishi. After homering in the first game, Negishi has eight home runs in 2024. In 54 games before this season, Negishi has only one home run. RHP Carter Daniels (S, 1) entered the game in the eighth. He tossed two innings, giving up one hit and striking out three to secure the series win for A&T.

The Aggies’ two home runs in Game 2 were exceeded by hits three in the first game. A&T added two doubles to their extra-base hit totals in the win.

Northeastern got off to a torrid start in Game 1 thanks to a two-run homer from Mike Siorta and a solo blast from MacGregor, who gave the Huskies a 3-0 lead off senior RHP Coley Kilpatrick. The Huskies eventually took a 4-1 lead on a solo homer from Cam Maldonado. MacGregor homered again in the sixth, this time off RHP Connor Blantz (W, 2-2), to give the Huskies a 5-2 advantage.

But the Aggies scored 11 unanswered runs over a three-inning stretch to take command of the game. A&T’s rally started with a towering home run from senior Camden Jackson to lead off the sixth. After the home run, RHP Cooper McGrath replaced right-hander Jake Gigliotti. Gigliotti opened his outing by walking senior Devon Rodriguez on four pitches. Junior infielder Enrique Wood followed with a double down the right field line before Rodriguez scored on a wild pitch. Wood scored on a passed ball to tie the game at 5-5.

A&T took the lead in the seventh on a two-run homer from Brown off LHP Will Jones (L, 2-2). Jones was later replaced by RHP Bett Dunham, who surrendered an RBI single to Rodriguez to give the Aggies an 8-5 advantage.

The Aggies five-run fifth included a solo home run from Negishi, an RBI single from Jackson, and three Huskies errors. Blantz completed the game with a perfect ninth. Blantz pitched the four innings of relief, giving up three hits, one run and striking out one.

The two teams will try to complete the series with a noon start on Saturday from War Memorial Stadium.