GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T split a doubleheader with local Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) softball foe Elon on Thursday.
The Aggies rallied late to take Game 1, 2-1, before dropping the second game 4-0. Before this win, the Aggies were 0-9 against Elon since joining the CAA in 2023 and had lost 19 straight to the Phoenix. Their previous win over Elon was on February 27, 2016.
A&T and Elon modified their three-game series due to expected inclement weather on Saturday. As a result, the two Piedmont Triad rivals played a doubleheader on Thursday and will conclude the series on Friday at 3 p.m. at LASC. Prior to Friday's game, A&T will honor
Katriel Williams,
Camryn Caldwell, and
Ma'liyah Martin as part of Senior Day festivities.
After Thursday, the Aggies are 20-32 overall, 5-18 in the CAA. This is their most wins since 2014. Elon is now 17-31 and 11-12 in league play. Before Game 2, Mr. A&T, Ryan Pennington, and Miss A&T, Kennedy Brown, threw the ceremonial first pitch.
In Game 1, junior
Aaliyah Williams (W, 8-9) pitched a complete-game two-hitter with one run allowed, four walks, and four strikeouts, raising her season total to 119, tied for fifth in program history. Elon starter Ana Dew (L, 11-12) also pitched well.
Dew went the distance, allowing six hits, walking one, and striking out. The first game was scoreless until the fifth. Elon broke through with base-path trickery. The fifth began with a walk to Mauri Murray. Brooke Camacho replaced Murray and stole second with one out.
Camacho moved to third on a passed ball before
Aaliyah Williams walked Reili Gardner. Gardner then took off for second, making the Aggies decide between allowing Camacho to score or allowing Gardner to reach second base. Gardner did make it to second safely. Greta Hessenthaler followed with a groundball to second. Sophomore
Ayanna Mears scooped up the groundball and fired home, but her throw went to the right, allowing Camacho to slide into home behind sophomore catcher
Tyra Robinson.
An infield single loaded the bases with one out before
Aaliyah Williams locked in. She got Jenna Klein to pop out and struck out Teagan Baulsir to escape the jam. Williams' composure with the bases loaded was crucial, allowing the Aggies' two-run sixth to hold up.
Katriel Williams opened the home sixth with a single before a sacrifice bunt from
Aniya Merritt moved
Katriel Williams to second. Junior
Destiny Sims brought home
Katriel Williams with a double to left field. A Mears' single put runners on first and third for junior
Shandi Brown. Brown's infield single drove in the game-winning run, as Sims scored to give A&T a 2-1 advantage.
An error in the Elon seventh inning put the go-ahead run at the plate with one out. But Mary Moss Wirt flew out to right, and Jenna Klein hit into a fielder's choice that forced out Hessenthaler on the base paths to give A&T the win.
Junior
Devin Long (L, 5-11) started Game 2 for A&T. She gave up four runs on seven hits in seven innings pitched, but only two of the runs were earned. She did not walk a batter and struck out two. Long's counterpart, Lia Miller (W, 5-5), pitched a three-hit shutout, striking out two and walking three. Brown went 2 for 3 in Game 2 for A&T.
