BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The Elon University softball team opened its CAA series at Campbell with a 6-5 victory over the Camels on Thursday afternoon, May 1, at Amanda Littlejohn Stadium.
 
Elon improves to 28-17 on the season with a 20-5 ledger in the CAA. Campbell fell to 33-17 overall and 18-7 in league play.
 
At the Plate
• Elon recorded nine hits as a team with three players (Reagan Hartley, Gabi Schaal and Kaitlyn Wells) having two hits to lead the Phoenix. It was Wells' team-best 17^th multi-hit game of the season. Schaal and Hartley also added RBI to their stat lines.
 
In the Circle
• McKenna McCard took the win for the Phoenix to improve to 11-3 on the season. The Ashburn, Ga., native pitched 4.0 innings and allowed one earned run with four strikeouts.
• Taylor Cherry tossed 3.0 scoreless innings and recorded her second save of the year.
 
The Rundown
• Campbell scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first. The Camels reached on an error and then scored on an RBI single to right field to take a 1-0 advantage.
• The Phoenix rallied with two outs in the top of the second to take the lead. Chloe Hatzopoulos led off with a single and then advanced to second on a sac bunt. A grounder moved her to third before she scored on an RBI single to left from Hartley. Elon then went in from off a Lani Wyrick double to left that put the maroon and gold ahead 2-1.
• The Camels tied the game in the bottom of the second, scoring a run on a two-out RBI single to knot the game at 2-2.
• Elon retook its advantage in the top of the fourth, scoring a run off a Greta Hessenthaler RBI on a groundout. Hessenthaler drove in Mary Moss Wirt, who reached earlier in the inning on a leadoff double, giving Elon a 3-2 advantage.
• Campbell used a two-out, three-run home run to go back in front, 5-3, in the bottom of the fourth. The Camels took advantage of a Phoenix error to take a two-run lead into the top of the fifth.
• The Phoenix responded with a three-spot of its own in the top of the fifth to keep the lead for good. Kaitlyn Wells reached on a leadoff walk before scoring on a double by Schaal to trim Elon's deficit to one. Schaal would move to third on a ground out before scoring thanks to an RBI from Mary Moss Wirt on a fielder's choice to tie the game. Elon eventually loaded the bases with one out as pinch hitter Teagan Baulsir stepped into the batter's box. The sophomore hit a fly out to left, but the sac fly enabled Elon to score the go-ahead run and take a 6-5 lead.
• Cherry would relieve McCard in the bottom of the fifth and held control of the Camels' offense as the Phoenix came away with the 6-5 win to open its series.
 
On Deck
• Game two of the series is slated for a 12 p.m. start time tomorrow, May 2.