ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team got off to a rough start to begin Colonial Athletic Association play suffering a doubleheader sweep at the hands of Hofstra on Saturday, March 26. The Pride took game one of the series, 9-1, before coming back with an 8-7 victory in game two behind an eight-run top of the sixth.
 
The two losses dropped the Phoenix to 16-14 overall on the year and a 0-2 ledger to kick off the CAA schedule. Hofstra improved to 8-16 and 2-0 to open league play.
 
Game One: Hofstra 9, Elon 1 (5)
Both teams traded runs in the first inning. Elon responded to the Pride taking a 1-0 lead by tying the game in its home half of the first on an RBI single from Carley Davis. Davis scored Rebecca Murray, who reached earlier in the frame on a leadoff single.
 
Elon looked to add more runs in the second and third inning, but was thwarted by a pair of double plays. The Phoenix had runners reach scoring position with one out in the bottom of the second after a sacrifice bunt by Drew Menscer, but Elon flied out into a double play to end the threat. The maroon and gold had another runner reach in the third with one out, but the Pride induced its second double play on a lineout to the shortstop.
 
Hofstra broke the tie on a two-run home run in the top of the fourth. Sam Ward took the first pitch she saw over the left field fence to put the Pride up 3-1.
 
The Pride then broke the game open in the top of the fifth, plating six runs with half of those coming off the bat of Ward on her second round tripper of the game. Carrying a 9-1 lead into the Phoenix's half of the fifth, Hofstra worked around a Murray double to earn the league-opening win via run-rule.
 
The Phoenix had four hits in the contest with Murray accounting for half of that total after going 2-for-3 with a double. Davis and Bella Devesa registered the only other base hits for Elon with the pair going 1-for-2 each.
 
Taylor Cherry (4-5) was saddled with the loss for the Phoenix, going 4.1 innings with 10 hits and seven runs allowed. She also struck out five batters.
 
Game Two: Hofstra 8, Elon 7
Elon was the team on the attack early in game two, scoring four runs in the first two innings. Davis worked a 2-0 count before drilling a two-run blast over the wall in left center to put the Phoenix on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the first.
 
Murray added to the Phoenix's lead as the senior hit a two-out double to left field, scoring Menscer and Devesa as Elon went up 4-0 after the second frame.
 
Elon would lose its lead in the top of the sixth as Hofstra rallied mostly with two outs to take the lead. Behind some timely hitting and a Phoenix error, the Pride plated eight runs in its half of the frame to carry an 8-4 advantage going into the seventh.
 
The Phoenix would begin a rally of its own with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. After the first two batters were retired on strikeouts, Murray drove a solo home run down the left field line to make it a three-run game. Elon kept its chances alive as Megan Grant doubled to left center before Gabi Schaal helped cut the Phoenix's deficit down to one on a two-run home run to left center.
 
Hofstra went with a pitching change with the move being effective as the Pride retired the final batter on a groundout to escape with the 8-7 victory.
 
Elon fared better offensively in game two, recording eight base hits with Murray going 3-for-4 at the plate with her third home run of the season and another double. Davis was 2-for-4 with her first home run since 2020 and her second double of the season. Schaal added her eighth home run of the season.
 
McKenzie Weber took the loss in the circle for Elon, falling to 4-3 on the year. The Overland Park, Kan., native pitched 5.2 innings and allowed nine hits and eight runs, but only three of those were earned.
 
On Deck
The series between the Phoenix and the Pride concludes tomorrow, March 27, with a single-game at 1 p.m.