It looked as though the Elon University softball team would escape Hunt Softball Park March 20 with a victory over nonconference foe Towson University, but the Tigers had other ideas, scoring two runs in the top of the seventh and holding the Phoenix scoreless in the bottom of the inning to pull out a hard-earned 8-7 win.
Up one and with junior reliever Caitlin O’Shea having shut the Tigers out for the previous three innings, the Phoenix entered the top of the last three outs from their 17th win of the season.
But the Tigers used Phoenix miscues and a couple of fortunate breaks to scratch out a pair of runs.
A one out bloop single from Tigers senior third baseman Delanie Dunham was the first of the team’s fortuitous breaks. Senior second baseman Lauren Oldham and freshman right fielder Alaina Hall had a shot at the ball, but both pulled up thinking that the other would call them off. Neither called for it, and the ball dropped between them. The next play, the Tigers again caught a break.
A sharply hit ground ball hit by junior second baseman Macie McGeehan seemed destined for senior shortstop Ali Ford’s glove, only to have it take a wicked bounce off the uneven dirt and strike Ford in the face, allowing both runners to reach.
Freshman catcher Holiday Cahill then chopped a ball to sophomore Emily Cameron, who had just replaced Ford at shortstop. Cameron tried to tag Dunham, but missed. By then, all three runners had reached base.
Sophomore enter fielder Olivia Yarbrough smacked a hard grounder to Elon junior first baseman Grace Eng, who had the ball deflect off her glove and into foul territory, allowing Dunham to score and tie the game at 7.
After junior shortstop Hailey Balk grounded into a fielder’s choice, senior right fielder Maureen Hepner drew a walk, scoring the go-ahead run.
The Tigers jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first on Phoenix freshman starter Alli Burdette, who struggled mightily and was pulled after just a third of an inning.
A double from junior pitcher Missy McCormick and a three run home run to left from sophomore first baseman Courtney Johnson chased Burdette from the game and spotted the Tigers a 4-0 lead.
“She’s going to be a good pitcher, but she has to figure out this level and the hitters she’ll be facing,” Elon head coach Kathy Bocock said. “And that’s on me and the coaching staff. We need to work with her on things she needs to work on and help her get better.”
Towson would add two more in the top half of the next inning on a Cahill home run down the left field line and a McCormick single.
Down 6-0 and unable to get anything started offensively, the Phoenix broke through and scored seven runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead, 7-6.
RBI singles from junior third baseman Aly Quintana and senior designated player Johanna Spencer gave Elon its first two runs. Hall was walked with the bases loaded to pull the Phoenix within four, 7-3, and brought senior center fielder Carleigh Nester to the plate with the bases still juiced.
Nester pounded McCormick’s offering over the left field wall for a grand slam and her 30th career home run, the second player in program history to accomplish that feat. The grand slam gave her team a short-lived 8-7 lead.
“It really pumped me up,” Nester said. “It was really exciting. I don’t think you can expect that to happen, you just hope it happens and I put a good swing on it and it went over the fence.”
O’Shea (4-4) was given the loss, while the Tigers’ sophomore reliever Ambar Hickman (6-3) earned the win.
With the loss, the Phoenix drops to 16-9-1 on the year, while the Tigers improve to 14-9 on the year.
Elon will hit the road for a three game set with Georgia Southern University on March 22 and 23. The first of two March 22 games will begin at 1 p.m.