ELON, N.C. – A late-inning rally in game two helped the Elon University softball team clinch a Colonial Athletic Association series sweep over Stony Brook on Saturday afternoon, March 11. The Phoenix took the opening game, 10-2, before closing out its league-opening weekend with a 4-3 verdict in the nightcap at Hunt Softball Park.
 
Elon (9-14, 3-0 CAA) has now won four straight overall after a season-long six-game losing skid while keeping its all-time series record over the Seawolves (6-10, 0-3 CAA) unblemished at 5-0. It's also the Phoenix's first 3-0 start in CAA play since 2016.
 
Game One: Elon 10, Stony Brook 2 (6)
Elon plated four runs in the opening frame taking advantage of a couple of errors by the Seawolves. Megan Grant walked to open the game which eventually led to the Phoenix loading the bases with no outs. Grant would score on a sac fly from Claudia Penny to put the first run on the board for the Phoenix. Elon then tried to take second on the play, leading to an errant throw by the catcher that allowed Drew Menscer to score as well.
 
After Carley Davis drew a free pass, she and Allee Seering stole second and third to move into scoring position with Bella Devesa coming to the plate. Devesa bunted towards the pitcher with Seering trying to score from third on the sacrifice. Seering was tagged out at home on the play, but another bad throw by the catcher attempting to throw out Devesa at second led to the ball going into the outfield and enabling Devesa and Davis to score and put the Phoenix ahead 4-0 to close out the first.
 
The Phoenix added two more runs in the home half of the second. Penny hit a two-out double to right center, driving in Grant and Menscer to give the Phoenix a 6-0 advantage.
 
Stony Brook got a couple of runs back in the top of the third and fourth to trim Elon's lead to four, 6-2. The Phoenix got one of those runs back in the bottom of the fourth on a Seering double to left center, bringing around Grant, who reached earlier on a single that led off the inning.
 
Two more runs came across for Elon in the bottom of the fifth off a Chloe Hatzopoulos solo home run and a Grant RBI to bring in Reagan Hartley on a ground out. That made the score 9-2 in favor of the maroon and gold heading into the sixth.
 
After getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the sixth, the Phoenix wasted no time in closing out the game in the home half of the frame. Seering reached on an error to leadoff the inning before eventually scoring on a Davis double to right center, securing the game one and series victory with the 10-2 score via run-rule.
 
Elon scored its 10 runs off 11 hits, setting a new season-high for runs and matching its single-game best total in hits in 2023. Penny was 3-of-3 at the plate with three RBI and a double while Grant and Hatzopoulos had two hits each. Hatzopolous' homer was her team-best fourth of the season.
 
Meredith Wells (3-3) won her second game of the weekend as the junior pitched 4.0 innings and allowed two runs off four hits. Isley Duggins tossed 2.0 scoreless frames in relief.
 
Game Two: Elon 4, Stony Brook 3
Game two started off as a pitchers' duel between the Phoenix's McKenna McCard and the Seawolves' Mia Haynes. Both hurlers kept the game a scoreless stalemate after the first two innings.
 
Stony Brook would break the shutout in the top of the third. The Seawolves' Brook Dye opened the inning with a solo home run down the left field line to put Stony Brook ahead 1-0. A bases-loaded walk issued to the Seawolves in the top of the fifth added another score for Stony Brook, who took a 2-0 advantage with Haynes holding Elon to only one hit after four complete.
 
Haynes looked to toss her fifth clean inning after retiring the first two Phoenix batters, but the maroon and gold stayed alive as Hartley drove a triple to right center to move into immediate scoring position in the bottom of the fifth. Grant followed with a base hit through the left side to put the Phoenix on the board and cut its deficit in half, 2-1.
 
The Seawolves got a run back in the top of the sixth. Alicia Orosco drove a two-out single into center, scoring Hailey Guerrero, who reached earlier on a hit-by-pitch. That gave Stony Brook a two-run advantage once again going to the bottom of the sixth.
 
Not looking to be subdued by any stretch, Elon's offense came through in its home half of the sixth. Seering and Penny both reached on a walk and a fielder's choice to give the Phoenix the tying runs on base with no outs. A fielder's choice would force the first out of the inning with Davis reaching, but Davis stole second to put both runners into scoring position. On the next at bat, Devesa drove in Seering on another fielder's choice as Seering was able to avoid the tag at home to bring the Phoenix back within one. Devesa moved to second on the play as Davis took third to give the Phoenix runners still in scoring position with one out. An Hatzopolous single put ducks on the pond for the maroon and gold as Kaitlyn Wells stepped into the batter's box.
 
After fouling off a couple of pitches, Wells came through with a double to the left field wall, scoring Davis and Devesa to put the Phoenix up 4-3 while also having a pair of runners still in scoring position with one out. Elon could not add more to its lead as Haynes induced the next two outs on a strikeout and groundout to leave the runners stranded.
 
Facing the top half of the Seawolves' lineup to begin the top of the seventh, Elon pitcher Taylor Cherry, who took over for McCard in the sixth, induced the first out on a fly out before Stony Brook had the tying run reach on a single. As the CAA's leading home run hitter stepped to the plate for the Seawolves, Cherry remained unfazed as the sophomore induced the next two outs on a foul out and a grounder to herself to secure the win and the series sweep for Elon.
 
Grant led the Phoenix in game two with two hits, while reaching base in three of her four plate appearances. The senior closed out the series against the Seawolves batting .625 (5-of-8) from the dish after coming into the series hitting only .158 for the season. Wells' two RBI tied for the most for the sophomore in a game this season.
 
Cherry (2-1) received the win in relief as the Suffolk, Va., native gave up one run in her 2.0 innings of work. McCard pitched 5.0 innings and allowed four hits and two runs while striking out three.
 
On Deck
Elon steps back outside of league play to host Notre Dame on Tuesday, March 14, at Hunt Softball Park. Opening pitch between the Phoenix and the Fighting Irish is set for 5 p.m. and will air on FloSoftball.