ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team earned a Colonial Athletic Association twin bill split versus Towson on Saturday afternoon, April 15, in a set of extra inning affairs. The Phoenix suffered a 2-1 setback in 10 innings to the Tigers in the opening game before rebounding to take game two, 4-3, in nine frames.
 
Elon (27-15, 6-5 CAA) and Towson (16-21, 3-7 CAA) will square off in the rubber match tomorrow, April 16, with the opening pitch at 1 p.m.
 
Game One: Towson 2, Elon 1 (10)
The Rundown: Elon opened the game with the first run in the bottom of the first. After Callie Horn opened the game with a walk, she moved all the way to third on a grounder and a fly out before Carey Million drove her home to give the Phoenix an early 1-0 lead.
 
The game went into a pitcher's duel as neither team could not get anything across over the next five innings. The Tigers however broke the duel and tied the game at one-all on a solo home run in the top of the seventh. Shelby Stracher took a one-out pitch over the left field wall to knot the contest.
 
The game went into extras as both teams struggled to get anything going offensively in the eighth and ninth innings. Phoenix starter Kiandra Mitchum kept up the solid work in the circle to finagle her way out of some jams in both frames.
 
Towson however broke the tie with another solo homer in the top of the 10^th. Kendyl Scott gave the Tigers its first lead of the game with her solo one-out round tripper into left field to put the Phoenix in a 2-1 deficit.
 
That would prove to be enough offense for the Tigers as Elon went down in order in the home half of the 10^th to fall to Towson in game one.
 
At the Plate: Elon had six hits in the game, but only one after the fifth inning…Million was 2-for-4 with an RBI, her 42^nd of the season…She also doubled in the contest, her seventh of the season, while Kristin Hoover added her team-best 11^th two-bagger of the year.
 
In the Circle: Mitchum (14-9) took the loss for the second straight game despite allowing only two runs in a complete game effort…The junior lefty pitched 10.0 innings and allowed seven hits and struck out five…Her 148 strikeouts this season is a new Division I single-season high for the program.
 
Game Two: Elon 4, Towson 3 (9)
The Rundown: Another pitchers' duel broke out for the start of the second game between Elon's Kenna Quinn and Towson's Julia Smith-Harrington. Both teams were held scoreless through the first five innings.
 
Towson was the first team to answer and break the lull in the top of the sixth. Stracher added her second homer of the day on a one-out shot to left field to put the Tigers ahead 1-0. Another solo home run added by Daria Edwards put the Phoenix down 2-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
 
Elon answered and rallied to tie the game in the home half of the sixth. Horn reached on a throwing error by the shortstop and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. A fly out to center field advanced Horn to third, but left the Phoenix in danger of leaving stranded her while down to its final out. That would not be the case as Million hit a flair triple into right field that scored Horn before she crossed the dish after an errant throw by the right fielder to tie the game at 2-2.
 
In the seventh, the Tigers went back in front thanks to a RBI sacrifice fly to right field by Brook Miko. The run gave Towson a 3-2 lead going back to the bottom of the seventh.
 
The Phoenix answered back with the tying run in its home half once again. Horn delivered the heroics as the Durham, N.C., native singled with the bases loaded through the left side to tie the game at 3-3. With the bags still juiced and only one out, Elon had a chance to walk-off, but Towson induced the next two outs to force extras for the second straight game.
 
After a scoreless eighth, Quinn worked around a base hit in the top of the ninth to give the ball back to the Phoenix offense in the bottom. Alaina Hall drove a one-out single to third base and advanced to second before eventually moving to third on Kara Shutt's single to left field. After Shutt stole second to move both runners into scoring position, the stage was set for Million to potentially give the Phoenix the walk-off win. The senior hit a grounder to second base, where it was misplayed originally before being tossed to first. The play however was enough for Hall to plate the game-winning run and give the Phoenix the 4-3 victory.
 
At the Plate: Elon had 12 hits in the game with nine players recording at least one hit…Million, Hannah Olson and Emily Roper each had two hits to lead the Phoenix…Millon added two more RBI to increase her total to 44 in 2017, tying her for second all-time in a single-season…Erica Serafini added her ninth double of the year while Shutt stole her sixth base.
 
In the Circle: Quinn improved to 9-4 this season after pitching all 9.0 innings…The Boiling Springs, S.C., native allowed nine hits, three runs, two earned, with a pair of strikeouts.