It was just another day at the office for junior center fielder Carleigh Nester.
With her Elon University softball team tied against the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in the eighth inning on Sunday May 5, Nester launched a walk-off sacrifice fly to give the Phoenix a 4-3 extra-inning win over the Lady Mocs.
The win capped off a three game sweep, the first Southern Conference sweep of the year for Elon. Combined with a doubleheader sweep against North Carolina A&T State University during the week, the Phoenix will enter the SoCon tournament on a five-game win streak.
“We do everything we do trying to work toward the SoCon tournament,” said Elon head coach Kathy Bocock. “Hopefully everything right now is playing its part for us.”
Sunday’s victory was also senior day for the team, and four seniors were honored before the game – shortstop Ali Ford, catcher Camille Hill, pitcher Kari Pervell, and left fielder Tomeka Watson.
Pervell, who missed much of the season due to injury, made her first start of the year on Sunday against the Lady Mocs. In each of the first three innings, at least two batters reached base. Through “focus and confidence,” Pervell allowed only one run to score.
“Kari has always been very mentally strong,” Bocock said. “We stayed with her to let her work through it because it was her senior day and we wanted to see things happen for her.”
Chattanooga freshman pitcher Rachel Allbritton was dominant through the first four innings, allowing only one base runner. The Phoenix finally got on the board in the fifth courtesy of an RBI groundout by Ford that scored pinch runner Caitlin O’Shea.
Pervell stranded another runner aboard in the sixth and her offense went to work. Nester drew a walk and was followed by two-run home run from sophomore first baseman Grace Eng.
The lead would be short lived, however, as freshman catcher Anyssa Robles hit a two-RBI double for the Lady Mocs in the seventh to tie the game. Pervell worked out of the jam and gave the Phoenix the opportunity to win the game in extra innings.
“In the past, we didn’t know if we could do it,” Bocock said. “But lately, they’re like, ‘No, we’re still in this.’”
As the game went to the eighth, Pervell gave way to sophomore Chelsea White.
“Before she went out there, I walked up to her and said, ‘The umpire’s got a good zone, you can do this,’” Pervell said. “I think she did well.”
In the bottom of the frame, Hill led off with a leadoff single. Freshman Emilie Rowand had entered the game to replace Watson in left field and laced a double to right field to put two runners into scoring position.
“We’ve seen her at practices to hit the ball hard like that in gaps,” Bocock said. “She’s not a real big kid, we know that she’s capable of it.”
That brought Nester to the plate. She knew what she had to do from the time time she stepped in the box.
“I just went up there and we had runners on second and third with less than two outs,” Nester said. “My job as a hitter is just to get it in the outfield somewhere.”
Nester did her job and the Phoenix won the game.
“She knew that she just had to drive it, and she did,” Bocock said.
White earned the win to improve to 7-14 on the year and Elon’s overall record increased to 21-30.
The weekend contained two other victories for the Phoenix over the Lady Mocs by scores of 6-4 and 2-1. White tossed a complete game in the 6-4 win and sophomore right fielder Amanda Allen hit a walk-off home run to win the 2-1 contest.
The Phoenix ended the weekend with newfound momentum as they prepare for the conference tournament.
“We’re on a five game winning streak now,” Pervell said. “We can carry that over into the play-in game and we can do well in the tournament.”
Elon will play in the tournament’s single-elimination play-in game as the No. 8 seed on Wednesday morning against Samford University. First pitch will be at 9 a.m.