ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team advanced to its second-ever Colonial Athletic Association championship round after surviving in a pair of elimination games on the second day of the CAA Softball Championships on Friday, May 13. The fourth-seeded Phoenix defeated College of Charleston, 1-0, in its first game of the day before upsetting No. 1 seed Delaware, 6-3, in its nightcap at Hunt Softball Park.
 
The Phoenix (30-21) will make its second trip to the championship after last reaching the title game in 2019. Elon will face fellow in-state rival and No. 3 seed UNCW in the championships with the Phoenix needing to win two games to clinch the league title and the CAA's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Game One: Elon 1, College of Charleston 0
In the first game of a pair of CAA tournament rematches for the Phoenix on Friday, the Phoenix and the Cougars both had chances early to plate runs on the scoreboard. Both teams had baserunners left on in the first two innings with College of Charleston having six runners stranded after the first three frames and eight total through five innings.
 
The Phoenix kept the game scoreless, but finally broke through in the home half of the fifth with two outs. Drew Menscer reached on a fielder's choice and was driven in on a double to left center by Megan Grant to plate the first run of the contest.
 
Elon looked to add some insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. A walk and an error by the Cougars helped the Phoenix get its first two runners on with the pair advancing to scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. CofC got out of the jam by inducing the final two outs on a pop up and a fly out.
 
College of Charleston got the tying run on base in the top of the seventh, but Elon induced the final outs to earn its second shutout win of the tournament over the Cougars.
 
The Phoenix had five hits in the game with Menscer going 2-for-3 to lead Elon at the plate. Carley Davis drew a pair of walks for the maroon and gold.
 
Isley Duggins picked up the win for Elon to improve 5-6. The Burlington, N.C., native went the distance and gave up three hits in her first solo shutout of the year.  
 
Game Two: Elon 6, Delaware 3
Elon came out with a strong start in its second game of the day versus the top-seeded Blue Hens. The Phoenix plated three runs in the top of the second with one out. Elon loaded the bases with three straight singles before scoring on a bases-loaded walk to Keagan Goldwait. Two more runs came across after Claudia Penny single to second to put the maroon and gold ahead 3-0.
 
The Phoenix added another run in the top of the third. Megan White pushed a run across on a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Davis who reached earlier in the frame on an error.
 
Two more runs were tacked on for the Phoenix. An RBI single from Menscer in the fifth and an RBI double to center field from Chloe Hatzopoulos in the sixth gave the Phoenix a 6-0 lead.
 
Delaware came back with three runs to cut Elon's lead in half in the bottom of the sixth. The Phoenix recorded the first two outs of the inning, but saw the Blue Hens break the shutout on a passed ball and a couple of RBI off a double and a single to make it a three-run game.
 
The Blue Hens had one more runner reach base in the bottom of the seventh on a two-out double, but the Phoenix ended the threat with a ground out to clinch the 6-3 win and eliminate the top-seeded Blue Hens.
 
The Phoenix had nine hits in the game with Hatzopoulos going 3-for-3 with a double for Elon. Five different players had an RBI for the Phoenix while Rebecca Murray stole her CAA-leading 26^th stolen base.
 
McKenna McCard (3-3) took the win in the circle for the Phoenix after she pitched 5.2 innings and allowed three hits and three runs with seven strikeouts. Alexa Nemeth and Duggins closed out the game for Elon with the duo allowing two hits between them in 1.2 innings combined.
 
On Deck
The Phoenix faces UNCW in the CAA championship round on Saturday, May 14, with the new game time of 10 a.m.