DURHAM, N.C. – The Elon University softball team split it games at the second day at the Duke Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 24. The Phoenix earned a 7-6 victory over Villanova in extra innings in its first game of the day before falling to Boston University, 16-3, in the nightcap.
 
Elon moves to 5-8 on the season.
 
Elon 7, Villanova 6 (8)
The Wildcats took the early lead in the bottom of the first. Villanova loaded the bases with two outs before being handed a free pass to plate the first run of the contest.
 
Elon answered with a two-run top of the second. Greta Hessenthaler led off with a single before Gabi Schaal connected on her second homer of the season to push them both across the dish to give the maroon and gold a 2-1 advantage. The Phoenix would get another runner in scoring position with no outs as Teagan Baulsir reached on a double, but she would only advance as far as third base as Villanova left her stranded.
 
The Phoenix defense helped keep its lead in the bottom of the third with Villanova threatening. The Wildcats had a runner reach second with no outs, but Elon induced the next two outs on a ground out and a caught stealing. Villanova had another runner reach second on a double, but she would be left stranded as a ground out closed the frame.
 
Elon's good fortune did not last as the Wildcats tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. Two runners reached for Villanova with one out before the game was knotted at 2-2 on an RBI double. The Phoenix was able to finagle its way out of the inning with a strikeout and a grounder to third.
 
After a pair of scoreless innings, the Phoenix retook the lead in the top of the seventh. Elon was able to keep a rally going with two outs as Drew Menscer and Megan Grant both reached on a single and an error, respectively. Allee Seering loaded the bases on another single before Mauri Murray drove in a pair of runners on a single to center, putting Elon ahead 4-2 going to the bottom of the frame.
 
Villanova itself stayed alive with two outs to tie the game once again in its home half of the inning. After a pop-up to second gave the Wildcats its second out with the bases loaded, Villanova tied the contest at four-all on a hit-by-pitch and a walk.  Elon prevented to walk-off possibility after inducing the final out on a fly out to enter as the game headed into extras.
 
The top of the eighth began with the Phoenix having a runner on second as the international tie-breaker runs went into effect. Elon wasted no time to get the runner home as Hessenthaler singled up the middle to break the tie for the Phoenix. Hessenthaler would be joined on the bases after a single by Schaal to right before Schaal stole second to give the Phoenix two runners in scoring position. Elon added a couple of runs on RBIs from Baulsir and Menscer, giving the Phoenix a 7-4 advantage.
 
The Wildcats responded quickly in its half of the eighth, scoring a run off an RBI double to right center to cut Elon's lead to two, 7-5. Villanova added its second run of the frame on a one-out, RBI single to right as the Wildcats had the tying run on base and the potential game-winning tally at the plate with one out. The Phoenix held on as pitcher Taylor Cherry struck out the next batter before closing the game on a ground out to third to give the Phoenix the 7-6 victory.
 
Elon had a season-high 12 hits in the contest with five players accounting for multi-base hits. Murray was 2-of-3 at the plate with two RBI and a walk while Schaal also drove in a pair of runs while going 2-of-4 at the dish. Hessenthaler and Menscer each added an RBI and a pair of base hits.
 
Cherry was rewarded with the win in relief, improving to 2-1 on the season. The redshirt sophomore pitched 4.2 frames and allowed four runs, three earned, along with three strikeouts. Starter Isley Duggins pitched 3.1 innings and allowed two earned runs off three hits.
 
Boston University 16, Elon 3
The Terriers used a four-run top of the second to get the early lead on the Phoenix. Elon got a run back in the bottom of the frame as Hessenthaler doubled down the right field line, scoring Murray who had reached earlier in the inning on a single.
 
Both teams traded a pair of runs in each of its half of the fourth inning. Boston University scored on a one-out, two-RBI single to left field to increase its lead to 6-1. Elon responded with a two-spot of its own in the bottom half as Schaal connected on her second homer of the day as her two-out blast to center drove in to keep the maroon and gold within distance, 6-3.
 
Boston University came back with a three-run top half of the fifth, pushing its lead to six, off a wild pitch and a two-run homer. Another Terriers' run off a sac fly in the sixth plated another run to give Boston University a 10-3 advantage.
 
Another six runs would come in for Boston University in the seventh inning, setting the final score of 16-3.
 
Elon was held to four hits in the contest with four different players registering a base hit. Schaal was 1-of-2 with two RBI while Murray also added a base hit.
 
On Deck
The third and final day at the Duke Invitational begins tomorrow, Feb. 25, at 10:30 a.m. as the Phoenix plays Michigan State in a rematch to begin the slate before facing host No. 8 Duke in the finale at 3:30 p.m.