CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Elon cemented its first-ever spot in the Southern Conference Tournament championship game with a 6-4 win over UNC Greensboro on Thursday evening. The Phoenix, which has won its first two tournament games to remain in the winner’s bracket, is now 37-19 on the season. UNCG (26-29) will take on Georgia Southern, who eliminated the first-seeded Chattanooga, tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. The winner of that contest will play Elon for the SoCon title and the league’s automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA tournament at 1:30 p.m.
UNCG took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Brittany Ausley led off the inning with a single and later scored on a RBI-single by Alex Emeterio.
The Phoenix tied the game at one in the top of the second inning. Ashlee Crewe got things started with a single and then swiped second. With two outs, Tomeka Watson laced a single up the middle that drove in Crewe for the tying run.
Crewe began the top of the fourth with a double off the center field wall. A wild pitch and a fielding error by UNCG’s third baseman allowed Crewe to cross home plate for the second time and make it a 2-1 game. Hannah Shelton followed the run with a single, but was left stranded as the final two batters were retired.
The Spartans picked up a hit in the bottom of the fifth when Laura Olenderski drove a 3-2 pitch down the right field line for a single. An infield single by Ausley and a walk to Emeterio loaded the bases for the Spartans with two away. Elon got out of the jam when Ausley was called for runner’s interference for the final out of the inning.
The Phoenix put up four runs, all with two outs, on two hits and two errors in the top of the sixth inning. Kaitlyn Piazzolla reached on a fielding error before Shelton singled to shallow left field. Lauren Taylor worked the count full before drawing a walk that loaded the bases with two outs. Watson drove in the first run of the inning with a walk that made it a 3-1 game. Jackie Gonzalez scored the next three runs on a single and a two-base error that put the Phoenix on top 6-1.
UNCG answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame that cut Elon’s lead to 6-4. Heather Robb plated the first run of the inning with a RBI-single that allowed Horsman to score from third. The final two runs were scored on Whitney Sirois’ bases-clearing triple. Erin O’Shea came on in relief of Taylor and ended the inning with a pair of strikeouts and fly-out to Graham in shallow center field.
Taylor got the win to move to 16-7 on the year. She threw five innings for Elon, allowing four runs on 11 hits and a walk. She also struck out three batters. O’Shea picked up her first save of the year after throwing two scoreless innings of relief. She struck out four batters and allowed just two hits in her appearance.
Amber Harrell fell to 14-15 on the year. She gave up two runs on seven hits, while striking out seven batters. Cory Mattson threw three innings in relief, giving up four unearned runs on four hits and two walks. She did not factor into the decision.
