Five first-inning runs helped to push the North Carolina State University softball team past Elon University on Wednesday April 24 by a final score of 11-0.
Freshman designated player Hanna Sommer opened the scoring by reaching on an error to plate sophomore shortstop Renada Davis. Junior right fielder Scout Albertson followed with an RBI single against Elon freshman pitcher Kayla Caruso.
The inning’s big blow came from junior first baseman Leah Davis, who blasted a three-run home run to left that scored Sommer and Albertson, making the lead 5-0.
Junior shortstop Lauren Oldham led off the bottom of the first with a single for Elon, but the Phoenix was kept off the scoreboard.
Due to a high pitch count, Caruso was pulled from the game after two innings and replaced with sophomore Caitlin O’Shea. O’Shea worked a shutout third before the visiting Wolfpack scored four more runs in the fourth. A two-RBI single from Albertson extended the lead to 7-0, and Jones added two more RBI on a single. Junior pitcher Karen Berna was brought on to record the inning’s final out.
Elon got a leadoff single from senior catcher Camille Hill to open the fourth, but the rally was killed when sophomore right fielder Amanda Allen was called out for passing Hill following a single.
The Wolfpack put the nail in the coffin with a two-run home run to dead center field by Davis in the fifth inning off of senior Kari Pervell, making her second appearance in as many days.
As Elon was unable to score in the bottom of the fifth, the game was ended due to the run rule.
Caruso took the loss to fall to 8-12 on the season. Elon’s overall record drops to 16-29. The Phoenix will be back in action on Saturday with a doubleheader at Furman University, set for 1:00 p.m. in Greenville, S.C.