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Softball

Elon Softball Wins ECU Pirate Clash

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The Elon University softball team captured the tournament title at the ECU Pirate Clash on Sunday afternoon after defeating Princeton, Delaware and Marshall.

After dropping four games on Friday and Saturday, Elon entered Sunday's bracket play as the eighth seed facing number one seeded Princeton Sunday morning.

Elon got on the board in the top of the third inning. Tracey Dahlen singled before Jessica Swearengin moved her to second on a sacrifice bunt. A single from Dani Concepcion advanced Dahlen to third before Paige Goss singled to send her home and put Elon ahead 1-0.

Elon scored again in the top of the fifth. With runners on first and third, Goss singled to score Swearengin from third base. With the bases loaded, Sadie Ball doubled and sent all three runners home to put Elon up 5-0. Princeton would score in the bottom of the sixth inning on a homerun but pitcher Meredith Gay would strikeout two batters to end the game and give Elon the 5-1 victory.

Gay (3-4) notched the win for Elon after throwing all seven innings and giving up one run on one hit while striking out three. Concepcion and Goss each went three-for-three from the plate with Goss recording two RBI.

In the second game of the day, Elon faced number four seeded Delaware. Elon started the scoring in the top of the first inning. With runners on first and second, Ball doubled to bring Megan Borgaard and Debbie Zeigler across home plate and give Elon a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the second, Concepcion doubled with Swearengin on second to give Elon another run and the 3-0 advantage.

Delaware tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Blue Hens scored one run in the third inning and two in the fifth to knot the score at 3-3.

Gay led off the top of the sixth inning with a double before Laurin Smith advanced her to third on a sacrifice bunt. Dahlen flied out to centerfield to push Gay home and put Elon ahead for good 4-3.

Borgaard (3-3) registered the win for the Phoenix after throwing four innings and giving up two runs on three hits while striking out three. Gay threw three innings for Elon and gave up no runs on no hits.

In the championship game, Elon faced off with Marshall who was the number three seed. Elon was the first to score, doing so in the bottom of the third inning. Dahlen doubled before stealing third to lead off the inning. Concepcion singled to right centerfield to score Dahlen and put the Phoenix up 1-0.

Marshall tied the game in the top of the sixth when Sara Spenia flied out to left field to score Courtney Kacenga from third.

But Elon responded in the bottom of the inning. A passed ball and an error put runners on second and third before Zeigler reached on a fielder's choice and Concepcion scored from third to give Elon a 2-1 lead. Ball then tripled to score Goss from third and pinch runner Nicole Ellis from first. Elon downed the first three batters from Marshall in the top of the seventh to capture the tournament championship 4-1.

Whitney Meeks (3-3) posted the win for Elon after hurling seven innings and giving up one run on five hits while fanning three batters.

On Friday, Elon fell to Delware 6-3 and host East Carolina 5-0. In Saturday's action, the Phoenix dropped games to Princeton (9-0) and Liberty (5-2).

Elon returns to action on Tuesday, March 8 in a 2:00 p.m. game with Winthrop at East Field.

–ELON–

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

Game 3 Box Score

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