HAMPTON, Va. – The Elon University softball team came away with a doubleheader split at Hampton on Sunday, April 2. The Phoenix took game one, 9-0, before falling in the nightcap, 7-4, at the Hampton Softball Field.
 
Elon moved to 14-18 on the season and 8-3 overall in the CAA. Hampton goes to 11-16 and 2-6 in the league standings.
 
Game One: Elon 9, Hampton 0
Neither team generated much offensively through the first four innings as both teams were scoreless through four complete. The Phoenix was held without a hit until the top of the fourth until Claudia Penny's two-out double, but Elon could not add more to it to leave her stranded.
 
The Phoenix bats came alive in the top half of the fifth. Bella Devesa reached on an error to lead off the inning before Kaitlyn Wells drove a two-run home run to right center to plate the first two runs of the game. Chloe Hatzopoulos followed with a solo round tripper to center to put the maroon and gold ahead 3-0.
 
Elon kept the offense going as Reagan Hartley reached on a single and advanced to second on a sac bunt. The Phoenix had a pair reach scoring position on Drew Menscer's double to left center before Allee Seering drove both runners in on her double to center to put Elon up 5-0. Seering herself scored on an error that allowed Penny to reach base before Penny was replaced on the bases by Payton Swart after Carley Davis earned a free pass.
 
After a strikeout gave the Phoenix its second out of the inning, Wells returned to the dish for her second appearance of the frame. The sophomore added her second homer of the inning as the three-run bomb went over the wall in center to put the Phoenix ahead 9-0 and only three outs away from taking game one.
 
The Phoenix would indeed finish the game out in the bottom of the fifth, finagling around a one-out single to secure the 9-0 win via run-rule.
 
Elon had eight hits on in game one, with seven of those coming in the nine-spot fifth frame. Kaitlyn Wells went 2-of-3 with her two home runs and five RBI to lead the maroon and gold offensively.
 
McKenna McCard took the complete-game, shutout win in the circle for the Phoenix to improve to 4-3 on the year. The sophomore allowed three hits and struck out three.
 
Game Two: Hampton
The Lady Pirates came on the attack early in game two, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first. Kayla Domon drove a one-out triple to left center, scoring Camryn Thompson on the play. Domon herself would score on a Janae Lyles single up the middle to put the Phoenix in a 2-0 deficit.
 
Elon got a run back in the top of the third. The Phoenix loaded the bases with one out before plating a run on a free pass to Penny. The Phoenix could not take further advantage as the next two batters were retired on a fielder's choice and a strikeout.
 
Hampton answered with a three-run bottom of the third. Lyles drove in a pair on a triple to center before the Lady Pirates added another run on an error to increase their lead to four, 5-1.
 
The Phoenix came back to trim its deficit in the fifth and sixth inning. Elon loaded the bases with two outs before Kaitlyn Wells drove an RBI single to pull the maroon and gold within three. Two more runs came across the dish in the top of the sixth on RBI single from Seering and a sac fly from Penny to make it a one-run game, 5-4.
 
Hampton came back with some insurance runs in the home half of the sixth. The Lady Pirates started the inning with three straight singles with Thompson driving in a run to give Hampton a two-run cushion. Lyles came through again with a two-out RBI single to put the Phoenix in a 7-4 hole going to the final frame.
 
Devesa reached on a leadoff bunt single to start the top of the seventh, but Elon could not gather momentum to start a rally as Hampton escaped the inning and took the 7-4 win.
 
Both teams had 11 ihits n the game with the Phoenix leaving 11 runners on base. Devesa tied a season-high with three hits after going 3-of-4 at the plate. Grant (2-of-3) and Menscer (2-of-4) also had multi-hit performances for the Phoenix.
 
Meredith Wells fell to 3-5 on the year after being credited with the loss. The junior tossed 5.2 innings and allowed seven runs, but only four of those were earned. She also struck out two batters.
 
On Deck
Elon steps out of league play with a home contest versus Liberty on Tuesday, April 4. That game is scheduled for a 4:30 p.m. start time at Hunt Softball Park.