Freshman Addie Ferguson recorded the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift fifth-seeded Towson over eighth-seeded North Carolina A&T on Tuesday, 3-2, in the first game of the CAA Softball Championship at Bill Edwards Stadium in Hempstead, New York.  

The Tigers, who secured their first win in the CAA Tournament since 2016, improve to 26-23 this season and advance to face fourth-seeded Elon at noon Wednesday. 

North Carolina A&T falls to 17-34 in its inaugural CAA season and is eliminated from the conference championship. 

Towson erased a two-run deficit, scoring three runs over the final two innings, including the walk-off single from Ferguson. 

FERGUSON WALKS IT OFF!#GohTigers | #UnitedWeRoar pic.twitter.com/kDn5CHLs8R

— Towson Softball (@Towson_SB) May 9, 2023

Mackenzie Lake and Cara Bohner recorded two hits apiece for the Tigers, with Lake going 2-for-4 and scoring the game-winning run, while Bohner was 2-for-3 with a run scored. 

Maddie Gardner picked up the winning decision, scattering four hits in a complete-game effort, while allowing just one earned run and striking out five.

Sharla Kirkpatrick worked around base runners in the first two innings, before the Aggies’ offense opened the scoring in the top of the third. 

Mackenzie Layton led off the inning with a double and scored two batters later, advancing to third on an error, before heads up base running allowed her to slide into home on the throw to first.

Kirkpatrick sat down Towson in order in the bottom of the third, before working around runners on first and third with one out in the bottom of the fourth. 

Layton led off the top of the fifth with a walk and advanced to second after a sacrifice bunt from Latianna Langley. Alyxx Estrada scored Layton with a two-out RBI single to extend the A&T lead to 2-0. 

After putting runners on in four of the first five innings, Towson finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth. 

Cara Bohner singled with one out, before Kristin Toland drew a walk to put runners on first and second. The next batter, Ally Hickman, tripled down the right field line just past a diving attempt from the right fielder. Bohner and Toland both scored, knotting the score 2-2, but Hickman was left at third. 

B6 | WE ARE TIED! Hickman with a two-RBI triple ties it 2-2!#GohTigers | #UnitedWeRoar pic.twitter.com/51Au2BNUQh

— Towson Softball (@Towson_SB) May 9, 2023

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Lake singled with one out then stole second base during the ensuing at-bat. 

With two outs and a 2-1 count, Ferguson blooped a single into no man’s land between the first baseman and right fielder to score Lake and advance the Tigers in the tournament. 

Layton paced the A&T lineup, going 1-for-2 with a double, walk and two runs scored. 

Katriel Williams was the lone Aggie to record multiple hits, reaching on a single and double in three at-bats.