ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team picked up a pair of wins on Saturday, March 12, as the Phoenix defeated Oakland, 8-0, in five innings before earning a 7-2 come-from-behind victory over Niagara in its nightcap at the Elon Softball Tournament at Hunt Softball Park.
 
The wins improved the Phoenix (11-11) back to .500 and stretched its current win streak to three games. Elon combined for 19 hits in the two contests and have reached double-digit hits in four of its past five games.
 
Game One: Elon 8, Oakland 0 (5)
 
The Rundown: Despite allowing two hits and committing and error in the top of the first against the Golden Grizzlies (4-12), Elon held on to prevent any damage in the opening frame before plating four runs of its own in the home half. Kara Shutt had a two-out triple to right center and scored on an Emily Roper single through the left side. After two consecutive walks loaded the bases, Kristin Hoover cleared them with a double to left center to put the Phoenix up 4-0.
 
Hoover added another RBI in the bottom of the third on a single through the left side to help the Phoenix go ahead 5-0. A throwing error ended with two more runs scoring for the Phoenix and making the score 7-0 going to the fourth.
 
The Phoenix added its final score in the bottom of the fourth. Shutt led off the frame with her second triple of the contest and crossed home plate on a sacrifice fly by Roper to right field.  Elon starter Elise Walton (4-1) set the Golden Grizzlies down in order in the top of the fifth to seal the 8-0 run-rule victory.
 
Walton tossed a complete game and gave up only four hits while striking out five and walking only two. Shutt, Hoover and Carey Million each had two hits to lead the Phoenix in the contest.
 
Game Two: Elon 7, Niagara 2
 
In the nightcap, the Phoenix had a battle on its hands against the Purple Eagles (2-10). A Phoenix fielding error in the top of the second led to Niagara jumping to a 2-0 advantage going to the bottom half.
 
The Phoenix got a run back in the home half via a wild pitch. Million opened the frame with a single to center field followed by another single from Hoover. The pair then advanced on a double steal into scoring position before Million plated Elon's first run of the game on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 2-1. The Phoenix could not move anymore runners as the next two batters went down in order.
 
In the next three innings, Elon had runners reach scoring position, but were unable to break through with the tying or go-ahead run. Down 2-1 going to the bottom of the sixth, the Phoenix plated six runs in the frame behind a couple of miscues by the Purple Eagles. Million led off with a single and was joined by Hoover on the bases after the latter reached on an error. Million knotted the game at 2-2 on another double steal before Elon took the lead for good on Hannah Olson's two-RBI single to center. Shutt followed with a RBI single through the right side while Roper added the last two runs of the game on her two-RBI single up the middle.
 
Elon's Abby Barker (4-4), who relieved starter Kiandra Mitchum in the top of the sixth, finagled the last three outs in the top of the seventh to earn the win. She pitched 2.0 scoreless innings with a strikeout while Mitchum pitched 5.0 innings and allowed four hits and two runs, both unearned, with three fanned batters.
 
Shutt, Roper and Million each had two hits to pace the Phoenix offense. Roper and Olson had two RBI while Roper and Jenna Reilly also had a double in the contest.
 
On Deck
The Phoenix closes its home tournament with a single-game contest against Central Connecticut State on Sunday, March 13. That game is scheduled for a noon first pitch.