ELON, N.C. – A strong effort offensively paired with a great pitching performance from its bullpen helped the Elon University softball team an 8-2 victory over Hofstra in the Colonial Athletic Association series finale on Sunday, March 27, at Hunt Softball Park.
 
Elon avoided the series sweep and improved to 17-14 overall on the year and a 1-2 ledger in CAA play. The win was also the first for the Phoenix over the Pride at Elon in its series history as Hofstra fell to 8-17 overall and 2-1 in the CAA.
 
At the Plate
• For the sixth time this season, Elon had double-digit hits in a game finishing with 10 against the Pride. Freshman Chloe Hatzopoulos was 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored. Gabi Schaal went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base while Bella Devesa also had a multi-hit game as the junior went 2-for-4.
 
In the Circle
• Elon relied on its pitching depth as four pitchers saw time toeing the rubber for the maroon and gold. Alexa Nemeth received the win in relief for Elon, going to 2-2 on the season after pitching 1.2 innings with three strikeouts.
• Starter McKenna McCard went 3.0 innings and also struck out three batters and allowed one unearned run. Isley Duggins pitched 2.0 scoreless frames in relief for the Phoenix.
 
The Rundown
• Hofstra put itself on the board early in the first inning off an Elon error. Chelsea Manto led off the game with a single before a pair of errant throws on the next at bat led her to cross the dish and put Hofstra ahead 1-0.
• Elon responded with a four-run bottom of the second behind some heads up base running and timely two-out hitting. Hatzopoulos singled up the middle to open the frame and advanced to third with one out on a single by Drew Menscer. On the next at bat, Hatzopoulos was caught in a rundown between third and home, but a dropped ball at the plate at home allowed her to score to tie the game.
• The Phoenix added another run to take the lead on a fielder's choice RBI by Grant, but Elon was called out at home with a runner trying to advance. Elon however was able to add two more runs to the scoreboard with two outs on RBI singles from Schaal and Carley Davis to make the score 4-1 after the second.
• Grant added her second RBI of the game on a two-out RBI to third. Grant drove in Hatzopoulos, who reached earlier on a hit-by-pitch, to give Elon a 5-1 cushion in the home half of the third.
• The Pride came back with a one-out solo home run in the top of the fourth to trim Elon's lead to 5-2. After Hofstra added a double on the next at bat, Elon went with a change in the circle with Nemeth taking over. The Mooresville, N.C., native allowed a single to the first batter she faced, but struck out the next two to escape the jam.
• The Phoenix got two runs back in the bottom of the fourth. Hatzopoulos drove a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left field for her second home run of the season as the two-run round tripper increased Elon's lead to 7-2.
• Elon added its final run of the day in the bottom of the fifth. Rebecca Murray scored on a bloop single from Schaal to put Elon up 8-2.
• Phoenix got into a bases-loaded jam in the top of the sixth. The Pride led off the inning with a single and saw its next two batters receive free passes to load the bases. Duggins was able to finagle out of harm's way as the Burlington, N.C., native induced the next three outs on a line out and a pair of fly outs. Duggins set the Pride down in order in the seventh to secure the 8-2 win for the Phoenix.
 
Notables
• The win was the 498^th for Phoenix head coach Kathy Bocock in her career.
• Schaal increased her RBI total to 34, which leads the CAA.
• Murray stole her 16^th base of the season, which still leads the CAA. Her 16 stolen bases are the most for a Phoenix player since Alaina Hall swiped 17 bags in 2014.
• Hatzopoulos hit her first home since having one versus North Carolina on Feb. 16.
 
On Deck
Elon heads on the road to Delaware next weekend for a key CAA series on April 2-3. The three-game set begins with a doubleheader on Saturday at 12 p.m.