The Elon University softball team played four games this past weekend, looking to improve on their plus-.500 record as the season is nearing to a close.
Phoenix womp Wolfpack 7-1 in non-conference play
The Phoenix defeated North Carolina State University 7-1 April 19, the first time in seven years that the Phoenix had come out on top of the Wolfpack.
Elon senior pitcher Erin O’Shea (13-7) pitched four shutout innings, giving up just four hits and striking out three batters for the win. NC State senior pitcher Morgan Peeler (7-8) allowed four runs and five hits in 3.2 innings for the loss.
Sophomore outfielder Carleigh Nestor hit a two-out grand slam in the top of the fourth inning. Two batters later, junior outfielder Tomeka Watson hit a two-run shot to bring the Phoenix’s lead to 6-0. Junior infielder Ali Ford added an RBI single in the top of the fifth.
NC State’s lone run came from Wolfpack freshman shortstop Renada Davis’ run-scoring hit in the bottom of the fifth.
Catamounts sweep weekend series away from Elon
Western Carolina University took all three games from the Phoenix April 21-22. The Catamounts improved to 19-29 overall, 6-7 in the Southern Conference, while the Phoenix fell to 20-17 overall, 8-10 in the SoCon.
In game one April 21, the first of a double-header, Western Carolina senior outfielder Erin Foster was 2-4 with a home run and three RBIs, including a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to help the Catamounts to a 4-3 victory. O’Shea got the loss and moved to 13-8 on the season by allowing four runs off eight hits. She also struck out six. Catamounts junior pitcher Amber Steinhardt (7-6) pitched 1.1 innings, giving up just two hits, for the win.
In game two of the double-header, Elon had a 4-2 lead in the top of the fourth, but two two-run home runs, one by Foster and one by sophomore shortstop Kelly Braman, spurred WCU to a 7-4 win. Catamounts freshman pitcher Jordan Garrett, who was named Southern Conference Pitcher of the Week for April 16-22, earned the victory (7-15) by striking out eight and allowing four runs off five hits. Elon freshman pitcher Chelsea White earned her first loss of the season (0-1), giving up four runs in 2.1 innings.
In game three of the series April 22, the Catamounts exploded in the latter innings, coming back from a 3-2 deficit to score seven runs in the last five innings to come away with a 10-3 triumph. Braman was 3-3 for WCU with three RBIs, including another two-run home run in the first inning. Garrett went five innings for the victory (8-15), allowing just one run on four hits. E. O’Shea got her second loss (13-9) of the weekend by giving up four earned runs on three hits in 2.2 innings.
The Phoenix will take on Div. I independent Longwood University in a double-header April 25 then face SoCon foe Georgia Southern University in a trio of games April 28-29.