ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team closed out its CAA series versus Hampton with a twin bill sweep of the Lady Pirates on Saturday, April 20. The Phoenix took the opening game of the day, 6-4, before closing out the weekend with a 4-1 victory in the nightcap at Hunt Softball Park.
 
The Phoenix (19-25, 13-8 CAA) earned its third CAA series sweep of the season while continuing to stay within the top-six seeds for the league's postseason tournament. Hampton fell to 15-30 and 6-15 in league play.
 
Game One: Elon 6, Hampton 4
Elon scratched across the first run of the game in the opening frame. Megan Grant opened the inning with a double to left before scoring on a two-out single up the middle by Carley Davis as the Phoenix took a 1-0.
 
Hampton tied the game up in the top of the second. The Lady Pirates reached on a Phoenix error with the runner reaching second on the play. A single on the next at bat moved the runner to third before she eventually tied the game on an infield single at 1-1.
 
The Phoenix quickly retook the lead with a two-run bottom of the second. Gabi Schaal opened the inning with a solo home to center to put the Phoenix back in front. Hampton was able to recover to retire the next two batters, but Elon kept the inning alive as Drew Menscer reached on an error and advanced to third on the play. She would score the second run of the frame for the Phoenix as Grant drove a single to center to give Elon a 3-1 lead.
 
Hampton was able to pull within one in the top of the third. The Lady Pirates reached on a leadoff single before another single gave Hampton a pair of runners on. After a fly out, Hampton plated its second run of the game on an RBI double down the left field line, giving the Lady Pirates runners in scoring position. Elon escaped the jam as the Phoenix induced a double play with Grant catching a lineout before flipping the ball over to second to end the threat.
 
Elon went back up by two in the home half of the third. Davis reached on a one-out error before she scored on a double to left center by Allee Seering to put the Phoenix ahead 4-2.
 
The Phoenix added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Mauri Murray led off the inning with a solo home run top left field before Hampton induced the next two outs. Schaal kept the Phoenix offense on the field with a double to left center before Greta Hessenthaler drove her in on an RBI single to give Elon a 6-2 advantage.
 
The Lady Pirates did not go away quietly, however. Hampton scored a run on an RBI single in the top of the sixth after the leadoff batter reached on an error. The Phoenix was able to escape the inning by turning a double play while holding a 6-3 lead.
 
Hampton added more pressure to the Phoenix in the top of the seventh. The Lady Pirates led off the inning with a solo home run, bringing the Phoenix's lead to two, 6-4. After a strikeout, Hampton got another runner on base bringing the tying run to the plate. Elon made a pitching change as Meredith Wells took over for Isley Duggins and got the second out on a strikeout. A single and a walk loaded the bases for the Lady Pirates, but Wells and the Phoenix were able to finagle out of the frame with a fly out to earn the win.
 
Grant was 3-of-4 to lead the Phoenix at the plate, who had 10 total hits as a team. It was Grant's eighth multi-hit game of the season, the second-most on the team, while adding her third three-hit game of the year. The Vinton, Va., native also had a double in the game along with Seering and Schaal.
 
Duggins earned the win in relief after the Burlington, N.C., native pitched 3.1 innings and allowed one earned one with three strikeouts. Wells had her second save of the season after having a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning.
 
Game Two: Elon 4, Hampton 1
Both teams traded runs in the second inning of game two. The Lady Pirates reached on a one-out triple to right in the top of the second and scored on an RBI single to left field to take a 1-0 lead.
 
Elon responded to tie the game in the home half of the second. Schaal led off with a single to left and moved to second on another single by Hessenthaler. A passed ball advanced both runners into scoring position before Schaal scored on a grounder by Drew Menscer to tie the game at one-all.
 
The Phoenix took the lead in the bottom of the third. Reagan Hartley reached on a walk and stole second to give the Phoenix a runner in scoring position. Hartley then moved to third on a bunt single by Seering before scoring off a wild pitch to give Elon a 2-1 lead.
 
After a couple of scoreless innings between both teams, Elon added some breathing room in the bottom of the sixth. Murray opened with a single to left before Schaal crushed her second homer of the day off the scoreboard as the two-run blast put Elon ahead 4-1 going to the seventh.
 
Hampton would get a runner on with one out via a Phoenix error, but Elon turned a double play on the at bat to end the game and secure the Phoenix the series.
 
Schaal, Murray and Seering each had two base hits each to lead Elon at the plate. The Phoenix overall had eight hits in the second game against the Lady Pirates. Schaal led the way with her two homers and two RBI as the redshirt junior has 24 career homers, good for sixth all-time in school history.
 
McKenna McCard improved to 10-5 in the circle after pitching her second complete game of the weekend. The Ashburn, Ga., native allowed one run with six strikeouts. She also becomes the first Elon pitcher with double-digit wins on a season since Abby Barker had 19 in 2019.
 
On Deck
The Phoenix travels to Stony Brook for its final CAA road series of the season next weekend, April 26-28.