Senior outfielder Tomeka Watson had already collected countless accolades in her Elon University softball career. One mark she had not hit, however, was the all-time Elon home run record, previously at 26.
Watson entered the year with 20 home runs. By the ninth game of the 2013 season, an 8-2 win over the Hampton University Pirates on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 24, she reached the magic number 27.
“It shows that all my hard work has paid off,” a humble Watson said. “It’s a big accomplishment. I want to keep it going and just be consistent throughout the rest of the season.”
“I’ve watched Tomeka grow,” Elon coach Kathy Bocock said. “It’s an honor to coach her. But Tomeka doesn’t make it about herself, she makes it about the team, and she makes this team go.”
By utilizing that philosophy, the record-breaking home run was just another home run on the way to a weekend sweep for the Phoenix in the Phoenix Clash tournament. The victory over Hampton was the fourth of the weekend, which also included a win versus Temple University and a pair of wins against St. Peter’s College.
Phoenix fans who filled Hunt Softball Park on the sun-splashed February afternoon were treated not only to Watson’s record-breaker, but a dazzling pitching outing from freshman Kayla Caruso.
“It was nice to close out the weekend and finish strongly,” Caruso said.
Caruso, who also started the 8-3 win over Temple on Saturday, credits a focus on “hitting spots and missing spots, getting it off the plate and making the ball move more” to be successful.
The right-hander began the day with a 1-2-3 first inning before junior center fielder Carleigh Nester led the day off with a single for the Phoenix. With one out, Watson stepped to the plate and laced a line drive toward left center that had just enough momentum to clear the fence. Watson rounded the bases, giving her the all-time Elon home run record and an early 2-0 lead.
Hampton answered in the second when freshman pitcher Bobbi Langlois reached on an error before being called out for interference with senior catcher Shine Huwe at the plate. Huwe was called safe due to the dead ball enacted when interference is called. Huwe had crossed the plate before the dead ball was called. Bocock went out to argue, but was not fruitful.
“It’s an interference call, it’s a dead ball,” Bocock said. “We went back and looked at the rulebook – it was right. It was legit.”
The next batter, senior center fielder Adrianna Scott, launched a home run to center that resulted in the Pirates’ only two runs of the day. Caruso, with the game tied, settled down for the rest of the game.
“I decided that was the biggest hit they were going to get all day,” she said. “It wasn’t gonna happen again. It didn’t.”
Elon wasted no time in getting back a lead they would keep. Senior catcher Camille Hill laced an RBI single in the bottom of the second to score Nester for the second time in the contest.
The offensive boost was much appreciated by Bocock, who quickly credited her hitting coach.
“Coach [Michael] Stuerwald does a great job with the hitters and we want people to have a lot of respect for us,” Bocock said. “The girls do a great job. They pay attention and do their drills and it’s paid off.”
Elon added three more runs in the fourth, courtesy of RBI groundouts by Watson and junior third baseman Johanna Spencer, as well as an RBI single by freshman designated player Emily Cameron.
For Watson, the consistent pitching is a point to feed off of at the plate and in the field.
“Our pitching staff plays a big part in how the game goes,” she said. “They definitely set the pace for us."
Caruso continued to mow down the Pirates, and Elon tallied two more insurance runs in the sixth to set the final 8-2 score.
Caruso picked up the win to improve her record to 2-2 that capped a four-win weekend for the Phoenix.
Elon 8, Temple 3
In the first game of Saturday, Feb. 24’s weather-mandated tripleheader, Caruso struck out five in a complete game effort against the Temple Owls. Sophomore shortstop Aly Quintana had a 3-4 game, and Spencer knocked in three runs.
Elon 10, St. Peter’s 0
The Phoenix earned its first mercy rule-shortened win of the season when it blanked the Peacocks of St. Peter’s on Saturday. Sophomore Eve Clausen allowed only two hits over her five innings of work, and Watson had a 2-2 game that included her second home run in as many games. Three Phoenix players – Watson, sophomore first baseman Grace Eng and sophomore right fielder Amanda Allen hit homers in the game.
Elon 13, St. Peter’s 3
In a game that started at 8:55 p.m. on Saturday night, the Phoenix jumped out to an early 10-2 lead. Junior Karen Berna pitched for Elon, giving up two runs over two innings of work. Nester and Watson homered, and Spencer had another 3-4 game. The contest was Elon’s second 10-run rule win over St. Peter’s in seven hours.
Overall, Bocock was pleased with the bounce-back weekend.
“That’s one of the reasons why we have a tournament, so we can get a good start,” she said. “We have some big games coming up, so the more games we can play, the better off we are.”
Elon improved its record from 1-4 to 5-4 with the weekend sweep, and will return to the field at Hunt Softball Park on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. to face the East Carolina University Pirates.