LYNCHBURG, Va. – A late rally in the second game helped the Elon University softball team to split its twin bill versus Northern Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 25, on the second day at the Liberty Softball Classic. The Phoenix fell in game one, 7-4, before earning an 8-7 win in extras in the nightcap.
 
Elon moved to 5-8 on the season with the split against the Huskies, which went to 2-7 on the year.
 
Game One: NIU 7, Elon 4 (5)
The Phoenix opened with a run in the top of the first. Drew Menscer and Megan Grant both reached on a single and an error, respectively, before Menscer scored on a Carley Davis RBI single. Despite having no outs and two on in the frame, Elon saw its next three batters set down in order to leave them stranded.
 
Elon added more to its lead in the top of the second. Chloe Hatzopoulos crushed a one-out solo home run down the left field line to double the Phoenix's lead. A pair of miscues by the Huskies led to two more runs crossing the dish and put the maroon and gold ahead 4-0.
 
NIU answered to get a run back in the bottom half of the second on a two-out RBI single. The game went into a rain delay before both teams returned to the field for the start of the third inning. The Huskies cut the Phoenix's lead in half after plating a run in the bottom of the third. Both teams played a clean fourth frame as the contest moved into the fifth inning.
 
After the Phoenix was retired in order in the top of the fifth, the Huskies rallied with five runs to take the lead. NIU led off the frame with a solo home run before adding four more runs on a pair of singles and a triple to take a 7-4 advantage. Another rain delay paused the game for a second time. Due to the threat of more inclement weather, the contest was declared complete after five with the Huskies taking the 7-4 come-from-behind victory.
 
Elon was held to three hits against the Huskies with Menscer, Davis and Hatzopoulos each registering a hit. Hatzopoulos' home run was her second of the season. The Phoenix also left six runners on base.
 
Kaitlin King was given the loss for Elon, falling to 2-2 on the year. Starter McKenna McCard allowed only one run with three strikeouts in 4.0 innings on the day.
 
Game Two: Elon 8, NIU 7 (8)
In the start of game two, it was the Huskies who got off to a quick start, scoring five runs in the first two innings. NIU had seven hits in the first two frames while the Phoenix offense was held without one during that stretch.
 
The Huskies put up a two-spot in the top of the fourth to take a commanding 7-0 lead. A one-out single and another RBI on a fielding error allowed NIU to put the Phoenix in danger of being run-ruled.
 
Elon however flipped the script from the opening game and began to rally starting in the home half of the fourth. Davis led off with a home run to get the Phoenix on the scoreboard. Claudia Penny and Allee Seering followed with a double and a walk, respectively, before Elon loaded the bases with one out as Mauri Murray drew a free pass. NIU induced the next two outs via popups to leave the bags full.
 
The Phoenix turned up the pressure in the sixth and seventh frames to tie the game. Seering reached on an error to start the bottom of the sixth and moved to third on a groundout. She scored on a Murray double down the right field line to cut Elon's deficit to five. Murray herself would cross the dish on a Mary Moss Wirt two-out single to right center to make it a four-run game, 7-3.
 
Elon would get those four runs in the bottom of the seventh. Grant led off with a single and scored on Davis' RBI double to left center. Penny drove Davis in with a single to left center to bring Elon within two with the tying run at the plate. A walk to Seering gave Elon a pair of runners on before a wild pitch gave the Phoenix the tying runs in scoring position with no outs. A free pass to Payton Swart loaded the bases before a wild pitch scored Penny and made it a one-run game.
 
The Huskies regrouped to retire the next two batters leaving Elon down to its final out with Wirt coming to the plate. The Efland, N.C., native took a 2-0 count before hitting a clutch single to right field, scoring Swart to tie the game. NIU got out of the inning on the next at bat, but Elon went into extras riding high on momentum.
 
With international tiebreaker rules in effect, the Phoenix was able to finagle out of having the Huskies' lead runner reach third with one out in the top of the eight. Isley Duggins helped retire the side on a strikeout and a foul out to turn the inning over to the Phoenix offense.
 
After Menscer was placed on second to start the inning, she would move to third on a sac bunt by Grant with Grant also reaching on the fielder's choice. Elon then loaded the bases with one out after Penny was intentionally walked with Seering coming to the plate. The sophomore took the first pitch she saw and drove a single to left center, easily scoring Menscer to give the Phoenix the walk-off 8-7 win.
 
Elon had 10 hits in game two as Penny was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Wirt also had her first multi-hit game after going 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI, matching Davis who also had two RBI while hitting 2-for-5 in the game. Davis also had a double and her second home run of the season.
 
Duggins (1-3) picked up the win in relief, going 3.0 in the circle with one hit allowed and three strikeouts.
 
On Deck
The third and final day for Elon at the Liberty Classic is scheduled to begin at its new time of 2 p.m. as the Phoenix will face Marshall. Following that contest, Elon plays the host Flames in its final game of the tournament at 4 p.m.