PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Elon University softball team earned its fifth CAA series win as the Phoenix split its doubleheader at Drexel on Sunday, April 13. The maroon and gold took an 11-4 decision over the Dragons in the first game before suffering a 6-3 setback in the nightcap at Drexel Softball Field.
 
Elon moves to 22-15 on the season and 14-4 in the CAA standings. Drexel saw its ledger move to 3-33 overall and 3-15 versus league opponents.
 
Game One: Elon 11, Drexel 4
The Phoenix started the top of the first with a 2-0 lead. Greta Hessenthaler reached on a leadoff single and then Kaitlyn Wells drove a one-out, two-run home run into center to give the maroon and gold the early advantage.
 
Both teams traded runs in the second frame. Elon added to its lead as Peyton Fitzpatrick scored off a wild pitch after she reached earlier in the inning on a single. Drexel however responded with a solo home run in its half of the inning, cutting into the Phoenix's lead, 3-1.
 
Elon put up two runs in the top of the third. Wells and Chloe Hatzopoulos had a pair of RBI singles, pushing the Phoenix's lead to 5-1 after the top half of the third.
 
Drexel trimmed the Phoenix's lead down to two, 5-3, with a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth. Both teams traded runs in the fifth inning with Wells adding her second homer of the contest with a solo blast and Drexel staying within two, 6-4, with a run of its own off an RBI single.
 
The Phoenix gave itself some breathing room with a five-run top of the sixth. Allee Seering drove in two runs on a single, scoring Reagan Hartley and Lani Wyrick, who both reached earlier in the inning on singles. Seering then scored on a Drexel error before the final two scores were driven in on an RBI double from Teagan Baulsir and a sac fly from Hatzopoulos to put the Phoenix ahead 11-4.
 
Drexel would get retired in order in the bottom of the sixth and seventh frames as the Phoenix took game one, 11-4, and secured the series victory.
 
Elon had 12 hits in the opening game with Wells leading the charge going 3-of-4 with a pair of home runs and four RBI. Baulsir was 2-of-4 at the dish while Greta Hessenthaler went 1-of-3 to continue her reach base streak to 35 games.
 
McKenna McCard took the win in the circle, improving to 8-3 on the season. McCard allowed one earned run in her 5.2 innings of action with four strikeouts.  
 
Game Two: Drexel 6, Elon 3
Elon plated the first run of the game in the top of the first. Seering reached on a one-out single and moved to second on a Wells single. The pair advanced into scoring position after a wild pitch before Seering scored off a Gabi Schaal sac fly to give the Phoenix a 1-0 lead.
 
Drexel tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second on a two-out RBI single, scoring a runner from third.
 
The Phoenix retook the lead on a two-run home run from Hatzopoulos in the top of the third. Hatzopoulos' round tripper scored herself and Payton Swart, who reached on a one-out double in the inning to put the Phoenix ahead 3-1.
 
The Dragons however came back with five runs unanswered to take the 6-3 lead. Majority of those runs came off a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth, putting the Phoenix into a deficit.
 
The Phoenix had chances to add runs to cut into its deficit. In the top of the fifth. Elon had runners in scoring position with one out after Seering reached on a single and Wells joined her on an error. The maroon and gold were retired however with a strikeout and a fly out.
 
Elon once again had the tying run at the plate in the top half of the sixth. Reagan Hartley joined Hatzopoulos on the bases with one out after a single, but Drexel induced the next two outs to leave the runners stranded.
 
Wells would reach on a one-out single in the top of the seventh, but the Phoenix could not move her as Drexel held on for the 6-3 victory.
 
The Phoenix had nine hits in the game, but left eight runners on base. Seering, Wells and Hatzopoulos all had two hits to lead the Phoenix with Hatzopoulos adding her seventh homer of the season with two doubles. Hessenthaler saw her reached base streak snapped at 35 games.
 
Anna Dew took the loss in the circle for the Phoenix, falling to 2-3 on the season. Dew struck out five batters in her 4.0 innings and allowed six runs. Lia Miller pitched 2.0 scoreless innings in relief.
 
On Deck
• Elon travels to fellow Piedmont Triad rival North Carolina A&T next weekend, April 18-20, for its next series to continue its seven-game road trip.