The Elon University softball team won their first two games of the Elon Phoenix Clash Tournament March 1 at Hunt Softball Park. In its first game, the Phoenix used an offensive onslaught to pound Coppin State University 17-8 in just five innings.
It wasn’t the most auspicious start for either junior starter Chelsea White or the Phoenix. Coppin State scored four runs in the top of the first without hitting a ball out of the infield.
But the Elon offense scored seven runs in the bottom of the first to take a 7-4 lead.
Senior center fielder Carleigh Nester started the Phoenix’s comeback with a two-run home run that cleared the wall in left center to cut the Eagles lead in half, 4-2.
Three batters later, junior first baseman Grace Eng reached on a fielder’s choice to score sophomore left fielder Emily Cameron. Junior third baseman Aly Quintana then tied the score with a single to left, scoring Eng.
Oldham struck out swinging, but the Phoenix caught a break on Eagle’s senior catcher Gabriel Ziller’s throwing error, which allowed senior shortstop Ali Ford to score Elon’s fifth run.
The Phoenix would add two more on a double from freshman catcher Carey Million and a double from freshman right fielder Alaina Hall.
Elon added five more in the bottom of the third on the first of two home runs from Million, a Nester double, a Cameron single, and a double to left center from freshman designated player Emily Roper.
The Eagles, though, battled back and scored four runs in the top of the fifth to cut the Phoenix lead to four, 12-8.
But the Phoenix buried the Eagles in the last half of the fifth. Senior second baseman Lauren Oldham doubled to left center, scoring three. The next batter, Million, pounded a 1-1 offering over the fence in left center for her second big fly of the game, giving Elon a 17-8 win.
“One thing I said after the (University of North Carolina at) Charlotte game was that we didn’t play all seven innings,” Nester said. “We kind of gave up and lost our focus. We persevered through their comeback and didn’t give in.”
Junior Caitlin O’Shea was rewarded with the win after pitching three and two-thirds in relief of junior starter Chelsea White, shutting out the Eagles and surrendering just two hits.
In the second game, Elon used a much-improved performance from White, who had struggled mightily against Coppin State and was pulled after less than an inning of work, to beat the University of Dayton, 2-0.
White rebounded right away, throwing a complete game shutout against the Flyers in which she gave up just three hits, walked three and tied a career high with eight strikeouts.
“We didn’t make very smart plays in the field behind (White),” Elon head coach Kathy Bocock said, “so it wasn’t just Chelsea who was to blame, it was the whole defense. She’s a fighter. When that situation happened, she got herself back mentally prepared and she came back and did great.”
It was an impressive bounce-back from the Phoenix’s hurler, Nester said, given her poor performance in the first game.
“After being taken out so early in the first game, I’m sure the first thing (White) thought of when she got in the second game was ‘It’s not going to happen again,’” Nester said. “She bounced back from that first game really well. “
Offensively, the Phoenix got timely hits to provide just enough of a cushion to escape with the victory.
After two scoreless innings, Elon broke through in the bottom of the third. Hall pounded an offering from the Flyer’s freshman Gabrielle Snyder into right. Freshman right fielder Katie Ryan ran back to the wall, leaped, and just missed the ball as it sailed over the fence.
It was Hall’s first career home run at Elon.
In the last half of the fourth, Elon would add a run to its lead. Eng had led off with a double down the left field line that landed just out of the reach of junior left fielder Natalie Mariano. The next batter, Ford, sacrificed Eng over to third, and she scored on a single from the next batter, Quintana.
The sweep moves the Phoenix to 10-5-1 overall. Elon will conclude play in its home tournament with a second doubleheader. It will play Coppin State again at 2 p.m. March 2, followed by a game against Presbyterian College at the conclusion of the first game.