Box Score

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Down by as many as seven runs, the Elon University softball team exploded for six runs in the seventh inning but came up just short, as the Furman Paladins escaped the game with an 8-7 victory on Thursday afternoon, April 28, at Pepsi Stadium to take two out of three games in the mid-week Southern Conference series.

Elon’s first three batters reached base safely in the seventh to load the bases with no outs and attempt a late rally.  Jackie Gonzalez slapped an RBI single over the head of Furman shortstop Jessie Homesly to score Pam DelPizzo and make it an 8-2 game. Carleigh Nester brought home another run on the next at-bat with an infield single that scored Camille Hill, making it a five-run game, 8-3. After Furman pitcher Kayla Suskauer issued back-to-back walks to Tomeka Watson and Emerald Graham with the bases loaded to plate two runners and make it an 8-5 game, Kaitlyn Piazzolla ripped a two-run single up the middle to pull Elon within a run, 8-7, with only one out in the inning.  But that was as close as the Phoenix would come, as Suskauer recorded the next two outs of the inning via strikeout and groundout to short to end the game.  

Elon falls to 24-22 overall and 9-11 in Southern Conference action, while the Paladins improve to 16-29 (8-13 SoCon) with the win.

Nester went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored in the setback, while Gonzalez and DelPizzo each recorded two hits for the Phoenix.

Watson went 0-for-2 with one RBI and a run scored, but saw her team-best 10-game hitting streak come to an end.

#Erin O’Shea# (9-11) took the loss for Elon, despite giving up just two runs on one hit and two walks in two innings inside the circle.

The Phoenix put runners on first and second early in the first after walks to Nester and Watson with one out, but Suskauer, starting her third game in two days, managed to retire the next two batters to keep Elon scoreless.

An inning later, the Phoenix again put runners on first and second and threatened to score, but Suskauer escaped a potential two-run inning after Furman right fielder Nikki Legg snagged a Nester fly ball down the right field line with two outs to end the inning.

The Paladins loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the third and scored the game’s first run after Lauren Taylor, who relieved O'Shea after two batters, hit Furman’s Jessie Homesly to score Katie Michaels to make it a 1-0 game.  The Paladins tacked on six more in the inning to take a 7-0 advantage, capitalizing on four hits, two walks and a hit batter to break the game open.

Nester put Elon on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth after sending Suskauer’s second pitcher high over the fence in left field near the Pepsi Stadium scoreboard to make it a 1-0 game. The home run is Nester’s third of the year.

But the Paladins got the run back in the bottom of the sixth and reclaimed a seven-run edge after an Elon fielding miscue led to a run, making it an 8-1 game.

Elon attempted a late seventh inning rally, similar to game one, but the Phoenix could not score with the tying run on third and the winning run on second in the seventh.

Elon returns to East Field this weekend for a non-conference doubleheader with Radford on Saturday, April 30. Game one is slated for 1 p.m.