ELON, N.C. – A seventh-inning rally by Ohio helped hand the Elon University softball team a 12-8 setback on its opening day at the Elon Softball Classic on Thursday afternoon, Feb. 6, at Hunt Softball Park.
 
Elon (0-1) suffered a loss to the Bobcats (2-0) in their first meeting since 2008.
 
At the Plate
• Both teams had eight hits in the game. Chloe Hatzopoulos led the Phoenix by going 2-of-3 at the dish. Gabi Schaal and Kaitlyn Wells both drove in a pair of RBI with Schaal and Payton Swart adding homers to their stat lines.
 
In the Circle
• Kyra Leonard was given the loss for the Phoenix, falling to 0-1. Starter Isley Duggins allowed one earned run in her 4.2 innings of action with two strikeouts.
 
The Rundown
• After Elon worked itself out of a bases-loaded jam in the top half of the first, the Phoenix plated two in the home half of the frame. Greta Hessenthaler reached on a one-out single and then advanced to scoring position after Chloe Hatzopoulos joined her on the base paths after a single and an error. After Gabi Schaal loaded the bases on a walk, Kaitlyn Wells drove a ball to the fence in right to bring in Hessenthaler and Hatzopoulos to put the Phoenix ahead 2-0.
• Ohio got a run back in the top of the third. The Bobcats scored on a single up the middle with two outs, cutting Elon's lead to 2-1.
• The Phoenix responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the third. Swart worked a 2-2 count with two outs before connecting on a solo homer over the left field wall. The round tripper gave the maroon and gold a two-run advantage, 3-1, going to the fourth.
• The Bobcats returned with another two-out run in the top of the fourth. A sac fly to left field make it's a one-run game as Ohio trailed 3-2.
• Elon manufactured a run in the bottom of the second to go back in front by two. Reagan Hartley reached on fielder's choice then advanced to third after stealing a pair of bases. She would cross the dish on a sac fly by Allee Seering as Elon went ahead 4-2 before the end of the fourth.
• Ohio started its big rally in the top of the seventh. The Bobcats had 10 runs come across the plate in the frame, handing the Phoenix a 12-4 deficit going into the final inning.
• The Phoenix had a mini rally of its own in the home half of the seventh. Elon scored four runs in the inning, plating runs on a Hatzopoulos double along with a two-run home run by Schaal. The Phoenix added its final run via a wild pitch, but could not get any closer as Ohio closed out the game with the 12-8 win.
 
On Deck
Elon is back for day two of the tournament tomorrow, hosting UConn. Game time is scheduled for 2:30 and will stream on FloCollege (FloSoftball).