The Elon University softball team had a rough week, dropping its eighth straight game and falling below .500 for the first time this season.
After ceding both games of a double-header April 25 at the hands of Division I independent Longwood University, the Southern Conference’s top team, Georgia Southern, swept a three game set with Elon during the weekend in convincing fashion, shutting out the Phoenix in games two and three.
In a weekday series with Longwood, game one featured a combined 16 runs on 21 hits for the two teams, with 11 of those runs coming in the fourth inning alone.
Elon’s bats were quiet for the first three innings before heating up in the fourth. With one on, sophomore Johanna Spencer put one over the fence in center for her first home run of the year. Four batters later, sophomore Carleigh Nester pushed across three more runs with her rare inside-the-park home run to take a 5-2 lead after 3 ½ innings.
The lead didn’t last long, though, as Longwood struck back in the bottom of the fourth to regain the lead, 8-5. After three runs came across to tie the game, junior Brooke Short broke the five-all tie with a two-run home run. Another home run off Elon reliever Chelsea White gave the Lancers an 8-5 lead after four innings.
A late comeback attempt by the Phoenix fell short, as Elon got another run in the sixth inning, but gave up two more runs over the final two innings, falling 10-6.
In game two, Elon had its chances, but couldn’t push a run across, dropping the second game, 6-0.
During the weekend, Elon played the SoCon’s top team tightly, but the Eagles proved to be what their record indicated, shutting out the Phoenix in both games two and three, taking the series three games to none.
In game one of Saturday’s double-header, the Eagles scored two in the bottom of the first, but Elon fought back to take a 4-2 lead on some small ball and a three-run home run from junior Tomeka Watson to left center to go up 4-2.
But like game one against Longwood on Wednesday, in the bottom of the frame, Georgia Southern fought back with three runs of their own to regain the lead, 5-4.
The Phoenix again stormed close, scoring one run to tie the game in the top of the seventh. Camille Hill got it going when she was hit by a pitch, then Ali Ford dropped down a sacrifice bunt to get Hill to second before sophomore Lauren Oldham singled to left to get Hill to third. After Watson walked, senior Erin O’Shea singled to left to bring Hill home to tie the game.
But it was all for naught, as freshman Lexi Allen scored on a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning to give Georgia Southern a 6-5 win.
Game two of the double-header saw Georgia Southern sophomore pitcher Allie Miles stifle Elon’s bats, as she held the Phoenix to just one hit as the Eagles were victorious, 4-0.
Game three on Sunday was a similar story. Elon could only manage two hits off of Georgia Southern’s starter, Sarah Purvis, as the Eagles used a three-run sixth inning to take a 4-0 lead and sweep the series.
“We’re struggling a bit offensively right now,” interim head coach Kathy Bocock said following Sunday's loss. “We’re a young team. We just need to make some adjustments and we’ll be fine.”
Looking ahead, the Phoenix looks to end its eight-game skid May 2 when Elon finishes its long road trip with a double-header against North Carolina A&T before coming home to cap off the regular season on May 5-6 against College of Charleston.
“We want to finish strong on senior weekend and get ourselves a little momentum going into the tournament,” Bocock said.