GREENSBORO – The Coastal Athletic Conference (CAA) leader in strikeouts, North Carolina A&T junior Aaliyah Williams (W, 7-5), had another stellar performance in the circle on Friday, leading the Aggies to a 3-1 win over the Hampton University Pirates in the first game of a three-game softball conference series at the Lady Aggies Softball Complex.

Aaliyah Williams struck out 10 batters, giving her a league-leading 80 for the season. She pitched a complete-game three-hitter, allowed one run, and issued just one walk. Her effort helped the Aggies improve to 15-22 overall and 2-8 in CAA play. Leah Maduro threw a complete-game two-hitter for Hampton, but she took the loss, striking out six and walking three.

The Aggies gave Aaliyah Williams early support by manufacturing three runs in the first inning. Junior Shandi Brown started the rally with a leadoff walk. Brown stole second, and redshirt freshman Aniya Merritt singled to put runners on the corners. Merritt eventually stole second, but sophomore Tyra Robinson struck out swinging.

Fortunately for the Aggies, Hampton catcher Simon Singleton dropped the third strike. Singleton threw out Robinson trying to reach first on the passed ball, but the throw allowed Brown to score from third to give the Aggies a 1-0 lead. Merritt moved to third on the play before sophomore Jaden James walked to put the Aggies back on the corners.

Sophomore Ayanna Mears then delivered an RBI single, scoring Merritt to put another run on the scoreboard for A&T. The Aggies manufactured one more run. Hampton caught Mears trying to steal, resulting in the inning's second out, but James scored from second base, giving the Aggies a 3-0 lead. That proved to be all the Aggies needed.

Aaliyah Williams retired the first six batters she faced on Friday, but the Pirates got on the board in the third. Santrea Armstead led the rally with a leadoff double. Taylor Ivey walked with one out, and Riley Bohanon drove in pinch runner Priscilla Michel with an RBI single to cut A&T's lead to 3-1. Aaliyah Williams then got Aitrihna Aiken to foul out and Maduro to ground out to end the frame. Aaliyah Williams retired 11 straight batters, including those two outs, before Carmynn Bonner singled in the visitors' seventh inning, putting the tying run at the plate for the Pirates. Aaliyah Williams then retired the next two batters. Bonner stole second base, but Aaliyah Williams earned her 10th strikeout of the game by fanning Armstead to clinch the win.

Aaliyah Williams also leads the CAA in pitching appearances (22) and ranks nationally 42nd in strikeouts and 38th in appearances. The Aggies will try to capture their first CAA series win of the season on Saturday when they face the Pirates for Game 2 at 1 p.m. at the LASC.