Box Score
ELON, N.C. – Junior pitcher #Erin O’Shea# set the tone for the Elon University softball team on Sunday afternoon, Feb, 20, as her complete game two-hit shutout helped the Phoenix top the Dayton Flyers 4-0 at East Field. Winners of its last five games, Elon improved to 4-0 on the weekend in the Elon Invitational and to 7-1 on the season.
O’Shea (2-0) faced four over the minimum batters faced for the game and tallied seven strikeouts while walking two. The Flyers (1-3) were left to minimal scoring opportunities and only once did a runner reach second base.
After a quiet first inning, Elon came alive in the second after senior Emerald Graham led off the inning with a single up the middle, which was followed by an infield single from freshman Carleigh Nester that put a pair of runners on base. Once O’Shea then reached after a fielding miscue by the Flyers on a bunt to load the bases, senior Pam DelPizzo delivered and got the Phoenix on the board with a two-run single to right center to give her squad an early 2-0 advantage.
In the third inning, Nester came up to bat with senior Caitlin McGowan on first after a walk. Nester sent an RBI triple down the right field line that just stayed fair. McGowan scored on Nester’s triple to make it a 3-0 game for the Phoenix.
Elon added its final run in the fourth using some small ball. Sophomore Tomeka Waston started the inning with a single up the middle and sophomore Jackie Gonzalez immediately laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Watson into scoring position. McGowan followed with a RBI single to center for a 4-0 advantage.
Nester was the only Elon player who had a multi-hit game with her 2-for-3 performance. DelPizzo finished 1-for-2 with two RBI after her big play for Elon in the second.
Dayton’s Rachel Archer accounted for the only two Flyer hits of the game.
Elon goes on the road for the first time this season when it travels to Columbia, S.C., to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks for a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 26. The first game is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m at Beckham Field.
-- ELON --
