Box Score

ELON, N.C. – The Elon offense exploded for nine runs on 12 hits and senior Lauren Taylor held the Catamounts to one run to help the Phoenix softball team to a 9-1 victory on Friday night, April 22, at a rain-soaked East Field in the first game of a three-game Southern Conference matchup against Western Carolina.

Elon improves to 21-20 overall and 6-10 in the Southern Conference with the win, while WCU drops to 18-26 (3-13 SoCon) with the setback. Elon has outscored Western Carolina 55-4 over the last four meetings dating back to last season’s series sweep in Cullowhee.

Elon head coach Patti Raduenz is now two victories shy of becoming the program’s all-time wins leader.

Taylor (12-8) earned the win in the circle for Elon going six innings, allowing one run (none earned) on three hits, while punching out 10 Catamounts. Over her last 10.2 innings of work, Taylor has struck out 17 batters and has yielded five runs, none of which have been earned.

Carleigh Nester, Kaitlyn Piazzolla and Danielle Lafferty led the Phoenix offensively with two hits apiece, while Lafferty drove in four runs in the win.

Western Carolina got on the board first in the second inning with one run following an Elon error. The Catamounts put a runner on second with two down before a throwing miscue down the first base line in the next at-bat, which allowed the run to come around to score.

But Elon immediately struck back in the bottom half of the inning when it pushed two runs across the plate to take a 2-1 lead. The Phoenix loaded the bases with one out after a single from Piazzolla and pair of walks to Pam DelPizzo and Camille Hill. Elon capitalized with a run on sacrifice fly to right off the bat of Lafferty and another run on a single through the right side from Jackie Gonzalez to take a one-run lead.

Elon tacked on another run in the fourth to increase its lead to 3-1 after Lafferty drove home DelPizzo, who reached base following a dropped fly ball by WCU shortstop Shemekia Scotton.

The maroon and gold offense broke the game open with five more runs in the fifth to take a commanding seven-run lead. Emerald Graham sent the first pitch she saw deep over the left field fence for a two-run homer, her 10th of the year, to make it a 5-1 game. The Phoenix kept the momentum going and followed with a pair of hits to put runners on the corners, as Hill came up with a single through the right side to bring home the third run of the inning. With two outs and runners on second and third later in the inning, Lafferty added a two-run single to give Elon an 8-1 advantage.

Elon scored the game-winning run in the sixth after Gonzalez singled and Nester doubled down the left field line to put runners at second and third. McGowan then came up with a sacrifice fly that ended the game at 9-1.

Elon is back in action tomorrow afternoon at East Field with a doubleheader against Western Carolina starting at 1 p.m.