ELON, N.C. – Behind an NCAA Division I record-tying three triples from junior Megan Grant, the Elon University softball team earned a doubleheader split versus Providence on Friday, Feb. 18, to open its home tournament, the Phoenix Invitational, at Hunt Softball Park. The Friars took game one of the day, 8-1, before the Phoenix rebounded with an 8-7 win via a walk-off RBI from Gabi Schaal in the nightcap.
 
Elon moved to 5-1 overall to start the season, its best start to a season since going 8-1 at the beginning of 2020. The Friars moved to 1-1 in their season-opening games of the year.
 
Game One: Providence 8, Elon 1
Elon was upstaged in its opening game by Friars' pitcher Tori Grifone. In her first five innings of action, the sophomore hurler allowed one hit and had 10 strikeouts keeping the Phoenix offense in check.
 
Grifone helped her own cause in the top of the fourth as she led off the inning on a solo home run to center off a 1-2 pitch. Elon kept the damage at a minimum with the solo home run the rest of the inning, but faced a 1-0 deficit going to the fifth.
 
The Friars broke the game open in the top of the fifth, pushing across four runs to take a 5-0 lead. Elon finally responded in the home half of the sixth as Rebecca Murray drove a one-out single up the middle to score Schaal, who reached earlier on a walk. The Phoenix would get another runner on base with two outs in the inning, but Grifone would get another strikeout for the final out to halt a possible rally.
 
Providence provided Grifone with three more insurance runs in the top of the seventh, expanding its lead to 8-1. Elon could not answer in the bottom of the frame as the game ended with Providence coming away with the game one win.
 
Grifione allowed five hits and one run with 13 strikeouts in her complete-game effort while walking only three batters. Elon starter Taylor Cherry was saddled with the loss to move to 1-1 after pitching 4.1 innings with seven hits and five runs allowed (four earned) with two strikeouts.
 
Game Two: Elon 8, Providence 7
Elon's offense was on the attack early in game two. Grant led off the bottom of the first with the first of her three triples and was joined on the bases by Schaal after she earned a free pass. Both Grant and Schaal would score on a two-RBI triple from Murray to give the Phoenix the early 2-0 lead. Murray would come home after a bunt from Keagan Goldwait, making the score 3-0 after one.
 
The Phoenix added another run in the second as Grant tripled again to start the inning and would eventually score on a wild pitch. Elon had runners on second and third with two outs after Goldwait drew a walk and stole second, but a fly out would leave them stranded.
 
A two-run top of the third by the Friars would cut into the Phoenix's lead. Providence's Rachael Petrarca battled a 2-0 count before hitting a one-out shot over the wall in left field as the two-run home run made the score 4-2.
 
Elon would get a run back in the home half of the third. Drew Menscer reached on a two-out single up the middle and scored on Grant's NCAA record-tying third triple in her third at bat, putting Elon up 5-2.
 
Murray's solo home run in the bottom of the fourth pushed the Phoenix's cushion to four before the Friars got a run back in the top of the fifth. A throwing error on Providence in the bottom of the fifth led to the Phoenix's Bella Devesa scoring from third and Elon taking a four-run advantage heading into the sixth.
 
Providence would put up a four-spot in the top of the sixth to tie the game at seven-all. The Phoenix had a chance to answer in the home half of the inning as Kaitlyn Wells led off on Elon's fifth triple of the game, but each of the next three batters were retired.
 
The Phoenix was able to work around a leadoff single in the top of the seventh thanks to a strikeout and a double play to move the game to the bottom of the inning. Menscer hit a one-out double down the left field line and advanced to third on a grounder with Elon down to its final out as Schaal stepped into the batter's box. The sophomore took no time in providing the heroics as Schaal took the first pitch she saw and drove a single into right center to enable Menscer to score easily and earn the Phoenix its second walk-off win in the past two games.
 
Grant became the first player in NCAA Division I softball with three triples in the game since 2019. The junior finished the contest going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a walk drawn. Murray and Devesa also had multi-hit games with the duo going 2-for-3 with Murray adding three RBI to her stat line.
 
Alexa Nemeth (1-0) earned the win in relief, pitching 2.0 innings and striking out three batters in her 2022 season debut.
 
On Deck
The second day of the Phoenix Invitational begins tomorrow, Feb. 19, for Elon as the maroon and gold faces UMass-Lowell in another doubleheader starting at 11:45 a.m.