ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team toughed out a 2-1 victory over UNCW in its CAA rubber match on Sunday, April 27, defeating the Seahawks on its Senior Day at Hunt Softball Park.
 
Elon (27-17, 19-5 CAA) won its seventh league series of the season and expanded its CAA win total to 19, the most for the program in school history since joining the league. UNCW fell to 25-22 with an 11-13 ledger in the CAA.
 
At the Plate
• Elon was held to four hits in the game all by four different players. Chloe Hatzopoulos had one of those hits for a double while Gabi Schaal and Reagan Hartley drove in the two RBI for the maroon and gold.
 
In the Circle
• Isley Duggins received the win for the Phoenix, improving to 4-1 on the season. The senior pitched 1.2 innings in relief while Meredith Wells earned the save after for her first of the season.
• Starter McKenna McCard allowed seven hits and no earned runs in her 5.0 innings of action. The Ashburn, Ga., native also struck out three batters.
 
The Rundown
• Elon scratched across the first run in the bottom of the first. Greta Hessenthaler reached on a walk to lead off the inning before she advanced to second on a sac bunt. A UNCW error moved her to third before she scored off a Gabi Schaal sac fly to left.
• The Phoenix got into a jam in the top of the second. UNCW loaded the bases with one out on three singles. McCard finagled out of the jam as she helped turn a double play to end the threat.
• The Seahawks put pressure on the Phoenix in the top of the fifth. UNCW loaded the bases again before scoring on a sac fly of its own to tie the game at 1-1.
• Elon scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth. The Phoenix had its first two runners of the inning reach on singles before the pair advanced into scoring position on a sac bunt. Elon put ducks on the pond after a hit-by-pitch to Teagan Baulsir, but a strikeout on the next at bat threatened to leave the bags full. Hartley then drove a ball to the shortstop, who was unable to corral it, leading to the Phoenix scoring from third off the error and take the 2-1 advantage.
• UNCW did get the tying run on base in the top of the seventh after a two-out walk, but Meredith Wells struck out the final batter to secure the save and the series win for the maroon and gold.
 
On Deck
• Elon is scheduled to travel to Campbell for its final CAA series of the regular season next week, May 1-3.