The Elon University softball team was on the right and wrong sides of a Saturday doubleheader with Appalachian State Univeristy April 12 at Hunt Softball Park. The Phoenix lost the first game 4-0, before rallying for a 5-3 win in the second.
In the opening game, the Phoenix could get nothing going offensively and was dominated by Mountaineers junior starter Alissa Schoelkopf.
Schoelkopf (3-7) was spectacular, surrendering just two hits in a complete game shutout. It was her fantastic pitching, as well as Elon’s inability to string a rally together, that led to the Phoenix getting shutout, said head coach Kathy Bocock.
“We got runners on and in scoring position,” Bocock said. “We just couldn’t string together enough hits to score or to make anything happen.”
The Mountaineers offense did just enough to preserve Schoelkopf’s victory, scoring one in the first, two in the fifth, and another in the seventh.
In the first, after back-to-back infield singles put Mountaineers runners on first and second, freshman shortstop Cara Parker ripped a single into left to score one and give Appalachian State a 1-0 lead.
In the fifth, the Mountaineers struck again. With runners on first and second, junior center fielder Ashley Seering lined a single to right center to stretch the Mountaineers lead to 2-0.
Seering then stole second, allowing another run to score on Phoenix freshman catcher Carey Million’s throwing error.
In the seventh, junior catcher Sarah Warnock lined a single to center with a runner on third to add an extra insurance run and give the Mountaineers a 4-0 win.
Phoenix junior starter Caitlin O’Shea was saddled with the loss after allowing four runs, three of which were earned, on ten hits.
The Phoenix bounced back in the second game, blowing a late lead but escaping with a 5-3 win on a walk-off, two-run home run to left from senior center fielder Carleigh Nester.
Million led off the seventh with a hard line drive to right center that rolled all the way to the wall and allowed her to cruise into second. After a sacrifice bunt moved Million to third, Nester came through in the clutch.
“When Carey started off (the inning) with a double, I was like, ‘We got this,’” Nester said. “And then after Alaina (Hall) moved her over to third, I knew all I had to do was get a ball out of the infield. I just wanted to make good contact and get good trajectory on it so it would carry. And it went out.”
The Phoenix, after not being able to string any rallies together in the first game, struck quickly in the second game with two runs in the bottom of the first which Bocock said was encouraging to see after her team’s inability to score in the first game.
“We have a good offense, but we have to put everything together to score, which we didn’t do in the first game,” Bocock said. “When we’re not doing that, and we’re stranding runners here and there, then we’re not going to have much success.”
Back-to-back free passes from Mountaineers’ sophomore starter Shivaun Landeros loaded the bases for senior second baseman Lauren Oldham, who looped a bloop single into left to score two and give the Phoenix a 2-0 lead.
The Phoenix would add another in the fifth on a solo home run off the top of the left field wall from junior third baseman Aly Quintana, her second on the season.
But in the top of the sixth, the Mountaineers offense came alive, cutting the Phoenix lead to 3-1 on a single to center from senior first baseman Lindsay Loudermilk. The next batter, freshman designated player Ashley Best, lofted a fly ball into short right that Oldham, racing back to her left from her spot at second, dropped, allowing a second Mountaineers run to score to cut the lead to 3-2.
It was then that perhaps the biggest play of the game was made. With Mountaineers runners at second and third with only one out, sophomore pinch hitter Ellie Manriquez flied out to sophomore Amanda Allen, who had replaced sophomore Emily Cameron in right. Allen caught the ball and threw a strike to home plate, nabbing the Mountaineer runner and preserving Elon’s one-run lead.
After going scoreless in the top of the seventh, the Phoenix needed just three outs to walk away with their twenty-first victory on the season.
But the Mountaineers wouldn’t go quietly.
After back-to-back bunt singles, the second of which was intended to be a sacrifice but turned into a hit when Phoenix junior starter Chelsea White’s throw was too slow to first, the Mountaineers had runners on first and second and no outs.
After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, Warnock smacked a grounder to Elon senior shortstop Ali Ford, who threw home to try and get the lead runner. But sophomore left fielder Kristen Terry avoided Million’s tag and tied the game at 3-3.
With a runner at third and still less than two outs, it appeared as though the Mountaineers were poised to take the lead, but White buckled down and got the next two batters to retire the side and set the stage for Nester’s heroics.
White (9-6) was credited with the win after going all seven innings, surrendering three runs, two of which were earned, on eight hits.
With the split, the Phoenix moves to 21-19-1 overall, and 4-10 in Southern Conference play, while the Mountaineers move to 16-23 overall, 4-9 in the SoCon.
The two teams will play the last of their three game series at 1 p.m. April 13.