GREENSBORO, N.C. – Behind four home runs, including two from senior Kaitlyn Wells, the Elon University softball team posted a 14-1, five-inning victory over Piedmont Triad rival North Carolina A&T on Saturday, April 19, at the Lady Aggies Softball Complex.
 
The win pushed the Phoenix's ledger to 24-15 with a 16-4 record in the CAA as the maroon and gold won its sixth league series. The Lady Aggies fell to 10-33 overall with a 2-18 record versus league foes.
 
At the Plate
• The Phoenix had 14 hits on the day, tying for the third-most hits in a contest this season while accounting for its second-highest run total in a game. Elon's four home runs versus the Aggies is a new single-game high for the Phoenix.
• Wells had two round-trippers for the Phoenix with the senior going 3-of-4 at the plate with six RBI. Chloe Hatzopoulos tied Wells with a 3-of-4 performance at the plate while adding a home run of her own with two RBI. Gabi Schaal added the other homer for the Phoenix, her eighth of the season.
• Wells' six RBI give her 48 on the season, tying her for the most all-time for the Phoenix in a single-season.
 
In the Circle
• Taylor Cherry was victorious in the circle with the redshirt junior improving to 5-4 on the season. Cherry pitched 3.1 innings and allowed four hits and one earned run with four strikeouts.
• Anna Dew tossed the remaining 1.2 innings in relief. The sophomore allowed no hits and struck out all five batters she faced.
 
The Rundown
• Elon scored two in the top of the first to take the early lead over the Lady Aggies. Hatzopoulos hit a two-out RBI single to right, driving in Allee Seering who reached earlier in the inning on a single. A throwing error on N.C. A&T allowed the second run to score for the Phoenix before the end of the frame.
• The Phoenix saw its lead expand in the top of the second. Reagan Hartley reached on a one-out single up the middle before advancing to second on a passed ball. She would move to third on a ground out before scoring off Greta Hessenthaler's single into left. After Seering joined Hessenthaler on the bases with a single, Wells drove them in on a three-run, home run to put the maroon and gold up 6-0.
• Both teams traded runs in the fourth inning. It was déjà vu again with Hessenthaler driving in Hartley on a one-out single, tacking on the Phoenix's seventh run of the game in the top of the frame. The Lady Aggies got a run back in their home half of the inning, scoring on a bases-loaded walk to break their scoring stalemate. With runners still on the pond with only one out, the Phoenix made a change in the circle with Dew stepping in for Cherry. The Harrisburg, N.C., native struck out the next two batters to leave the bags full and Elon leading 7-1.
• Elon used a seven-run top of the fifth to pull away from the hosts. The Phoenix had three home runs in the inning, starting with a Hatzopoulos leadoff solo hit to center. Elon then loaded the bases after a single and a pair of walks before Kayla Wilson added another run on an RBI single to right. A sac fly from Payton Swart pushed another run across before back-to-back home runs from Wells and Schaal concluded the scoring for the Phoenix, who took a 14-1 advantage into the bottom of the fifth.
• Dew closed out the inning with three more strikeouts to bring the Phoenix to the 14-1 win.
 
On Deck
• The series finale between the Phoenix and the Lady Aggies is scheduled tomorrow, April 20, at 1 p.m. The game will stream on FloCollege (FloSoftball).