ELON, NC – The Elon University softball team closed out its regular season with a doubleheader and series swept over Drexel on Friday, May 3, as the Phoenix took a 12-2 win in the opening contest before closing out the day with a 6-0 win in the nightcap at Hunt Softball Park.
The wins pushed the Phoenix’s ledger to 23-27 on the season and 17-10 in league play. Drexel fell to 15-29 on the season and 10-16 to close out its season.
Game One: Elon 12, Drexel 2 (6)
The Dragons threatened early in the top of the third. Drexel had his first two batters reach on singles before loading the bases with one out after a walk. The Phoenix was able to finagle out of the jam with a strikeout and a fly out to leave the bags full.
Elon’s offense woke up at the bottom of the third. Drew Menscer led off with a single and scored on an RBI double from Megan Grant to plate the first run of the game. A bunt single by Reagan Hartley advanced Grant to third before a wild pitch enabled the second run of the game to score for Elon. The Phoenix added two more runs on a two-run homer by Mauri Murray to give Elon a 4-0 lead. Another run was tallied by Elon on a two-out double down the right field line by Kaitlyn Wells as the Phoenix took a 5-0 advantage to the fourth.
Drexel was able to get a pair of runs back at the top of the fourth. The Dragons again had their first two batters reach on singles, but Elon induced the next two outs looking to leave the runners stranded. Drexel was able to score a pair on a single to center followed by an Elon error on the play to trim the Phoenix’s lead to three, 5-2.
The Phoenix responded with a three-run bottom of the fifth. Carley Davis and Allee Seering reached on a walk and a single, respectively, before Gabi Schaal added her 11th homer of the season as the three-run blast to left put Elon ahead 8-2.
After a three up, three down frame in the top of the sixth for the Dragons, Elon put up a four spot in the home half of the inning to close out the game. The Phoenix loaded the bases with no outs before a sac fly by Mary Moss Wirt pushed home to run. Seering followed with the Phoenix’s second, three-run homer of the day as Elon took the opening contest, 12-2.
Offensively, Elon had 13 hits with Hartley going 3-of-4 at the dish to lead the Phoenix. Grant, Seering and Kaitlyn Wells each had two hits with Schaal and Seering having three RBI for the Phoenix. Schaal’s homer de ella gave her 27 de ella in her career de ella, moving her into a tie for third all-time in school history with Ally Repko ’21.
Meredith Wells picked up the win in the circle, going to 2-6 on the season. The Daleville, Va., native allowed one earned run in 6.0 innings and struck out four batters in the complete game effort.
Game Two: Elon 6, Drexel 0
Elon scored two runs in the bottom of the first to open the second game. Seering hit a double to center field, driving in two runs on the play to put the Phoenix ahead 2-0.
Seering answered again at the bottom of the third to add more runs to the scoreboard for the Phoenix. The junior hit a two-out double over the head of the left fielder, driving in two runs as the Phoenix doubled its lead to 4-0.
Murray added to Elon’s lead at the bottom of the fifth. The sophomore drove in Grant on an RBI single up the middle as Elon took a 5-0 lead. The Phoenix loaded the bases with no outs after a Davis single to center, but the Phoenix lined out into a double play on the next at bat before a fly out ended the inning.
Just home run by Kaitlyn Wells at the bottom of the sixth pushed the Phoenix’s advantage to 6-0. The junior worked a 2-1 count before hitting his sixth home run of the year on a single hit over the fence in left field.
That would be the final tally on the day as the Phoenix would retire the side in the seventh to close out the game with the shutout victory.
The Phoenix had double-digit hits for the third straight game, going for 10 base knocks. Grant, Seering and Murray had two hits each for Elon with Seering tying her season-high with four RBI in the game while adding two doubles to her stat line.
Taylor Cherry earned the win, pitching 5.0 innings to improve to 5-4 on the season. McKenna McCard tossed to other 2.0 scoreless frames in relief, registering a strikeout in the game.
On Deck
Elon begins play at the 2024 CAA Championships next Wednesday, May 8 at Boseman Field on the campus of UNCW.
— ELON —
