WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team earned its fourth straight Colonial Athletic Association series victory with its doubleheader split at UNCW on Sunday, May 1. The Phoenix fell in the opening game, 9-1, but recovered to take the series with a 1-0 win in the rubber match in extras at Boseman Field.
 
Elon moved to 27-20 on the season and 10-8 in the CAA. UNCW went to 28-13 with a 10-8 record in league play.
 
Game One: UNCW 9, Elon 1
The Seahawks opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. UNCW had its leadoff batter reach on a walk and advanced to third after a groundout. She later scored on another groundout to put Elon down 1-0.
 
Elon had a runner reach scoring position in the top of the third. Megan Grant reached on a leadoff single and moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt and a grounder to first. The Phoenix had another runner reach on a walk to give the maroon and gold runners on the corners, but a fly out left them stranded.
 
UNCW added four runs in the bottom of the third with two outs. A couple of Phoenix miscues led to the Seahawks putting up a four-spot to push its lead to 5-0.
 
The Phoenix got a run back in the top of the fourth. Claudia Penny drove in a run on a groundout, scoring Drew Menscer, who reached earlier on an infield single, to make it a four-run game, 5-1.
 
The Seahawks plated three more runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it a seven-run game. UNCW took advantage of a couple of Phoenix errors in the inning to increase its lead to 8-1.
 
UNCW plated the final run in the bottom of the sixth courtesy of two more errors by the Phoenix to earn the run-rule victory, 9-1.
 
Elon had six hits in the game, but also tied a season-high with four errors in the contest. Menscer was 2-for-3 to pace the Phoenix at the plate offensively.
 
Isley Duggins was handed the loss in the circle, falling to 4-6 overall on the season. The Burlington, N.C., native allowed one earned run in 2.2 innings. Alexa Nemeth pitched 2.1 frames and gave up five hits and two earned runs with a strikeout.
 
Game Two: Elon 1, UNCW 0
Both teams endured a pitcher's duel throughout game two with both teams combining for only one hit in the first seven innings of the game. The Phoenix had a base runner reach in both the first and fifth inning, but UNCW hurler Emily Winstead kept the Elon bats from making too much damage.
 
The Phoenix rookie pitcher tandem of McKenna McCard and Taylor Cherry went toe-to-toe with Winstead and the duo held the Seahawks' offense in check. UNCW had a runner reach third in the bottom of the fifth, but that was the furthest the Seahawks would get on the base paths.
 
Elon broke the scoring stalemate in the top of the eighth. Menscer broke up Winstead's no-hit bid with a single through the left side to open the inning. A wild pitch moved Menscer to third, but she was in danger of being stranded after the next two batters were retired. The Phoenix plated the lone run of the game after an error on a ball hit to right field by Kaitlyn Wells allowed Menscer to score and put Elon ahead 1-0.
 
UNCW had a chance to tie or win via a walk-off as a batter reached on an error and moved into scoring position with two outs, but Cherry induced the final out on a pop up to close out the game and secure the series win.
 
Cherry picked up her second win of the series to move to 6-6 on the year after pitching 3.0 scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts in relief. McCard started the game and tossed 5.0 scoreless innings and allowed one hit with a strikeout.
 
On Deck
Elon is scheduled to host James Madison this weekend, May 6-7, to conclude its regular season.