For the second time in three games, the Elon University softball team was routed by the University of North Carolina at Greensboro after just five innings. The latest, an 8-0 drubbing in the finale of the teams’ three-game series, was Elon’s last tune-up for the Southern Conference Tournament, which starts Wednesday, May 7 in Greensboro.
As they did in the first two games of the series, the Spartans jumped on the Phoenix’s starter, this time freshman Alli Burdette, from the start, scoring two in the bottom of the first and another in the third.
In the bottom of the first, sophomore catcher Lindsay Thomas launched a two-run home run to left to give the Spartans an early 2-0 lead, which they would add to in the bottom of the third on a solo shot to left center from senior first baseman Katelyn Bedwell to stretch the lead to 3-0.
After holding Elon scoreless in the top of the fourth, UNCG broke the game open in the bottom half of the frame.
With no one out and the bases loaded, Burdette walked junior second baseman Dominique Madruga to force home a run and make it 4-0.
The Phoenix brought in junior Chelsea White in relief, but she fared no better, giving up an RBI single to right center and a sacrifice fly to right to increase the Spartans’ lead to 6-0.
Two batters later, White uncorked back-to-back wild pitches, allowing the last two Spartans runs to score to make it 8-0 and end the game.
Burdette (3-6) was saddled with the loss after giving up seven runs on five hits in just three innings of work.
With the loss, Elon drops to 24-27-1 overall, 6-15 in the Southern Conference, while the Spartans improve to 27-24 overall, and 10-11 in conference play.
Elon has the lowest seed — No. 8 — in this week’s SoCon Tournament. The Phoenix will play No. 1 Georgia Southern University at 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 7.