BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The Elon University softball team captured the 2025 CAA Softball Tournament championship on Saturday afternoon, May 10, defeating host school Campbell in a pair of contests. The Phoenix took the opening game, 5-0, before winning the title with a 6-2 victory in the winner-take-all contest at Amanda Littlejohn Stadium.
 
The win was Elon's (33-19) first-ever CAA tournament title and the program's second overall in its Division I history, with the last one taking place in 2010.
 
Individually, Kaitlyn Wells was named the Most Outstanding Player at the tournament after registering a hit in all five contests to go with a tournament-high eight RBIs. She was joined on the CAA All-Tournament team by teammates Chloe Hatzopoulos, Allee Seering and Meredith Wells.
 
Game One: Elon 5, Campbell 0
The Phoenix got off to a quick start in the opening game of the day against the Camels. Greta Hessenthaler drove a leadoff double into right field and moved to third off a Seering bunt single. Kaitlyn Wells pushed across the first run of the game with an RBI single through the left side, scoring Hessenthaler. Seering would later score in the inning as the defense was caught up in a rundown with Wells between first and second, putting the Phoenix up 2-0.
 
Elon and starter Taylor Cherry settled into the game, holding the Camels' offense to two hits during the first four innings. Meredith Wells relieved Cherry in the bottom of the fifth and worked around a leadoff single to retire the side on a double play and a ground out.
 
The Phoenix used a three-run top of the seventh to add some insurance runs to its lead. Elon loaded the bases with no outs before Seering scored on a free pass to push across a run. Kaitlyn Wells then drew a hit-by-pitch for the Phoenix's second score of the inning before Gabi Schaal added the final tally on a sac fly.
 
Meredith Wells easily worked through the order in the bottom of the seventh to earn the save – tying her for the most in school history with six.
 
Elon had eight hits in the game with Kaitlyn Wells and Lani Wyrick having two hits apiece. Wells also added two RBI to her stat line.
 
Cherry allowed no runs and two hits in her 4.0 innings of action, moving to 5-4 on the season.
 
Game Two: Elon 6, Campbell 2
After both teams went scoreless in the opening frame, Elon capitalized on a Campbell error to strike first on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second. Hatzopoulos reached on a walk to start the inning and then moved to second on a sac bunt. An errant throw by the Camels on another bunt attempt led to Hatzopoulos scoring as Elon took a 1-0 lead.
 
The Phoenix added to its lead with a three-spot in the bottom of the third behind a pair of home runs. Hessenthaler walked to start the inning before going to second on a sac bunt to move into scoring position. Kaitlyn Wells made it easier for Hessenthaler as the Roswell, Ga., native smacked a two-run home run into center to put the Phoenix up 3-0. Wells' home run was her 16^th of the season – setting a new Elon single-season school record.
 
Not to be outdone, Hatzopoulos followed Wells with a two-out solo home run to center, giving the Phoenix a 4-0 cushion after the third.
 
Campbell answered with a two-run top of the fourth to cut the Phoenix's lead in half, 4-2. Elon recovered to get those runs back in its half of the fourth as Seering drove a one-out single through the left side, pushing home Mary Moss Wirt. Kaitlyn Wells followed with a sac fly to center, nearly adding her second homer in as many innings, but the deep fly out allowed another run to score as Elon retook its four-run lead, 6-2.
 
Meredith Wells pitched the first four innings before giving way to Anna Dew in relief in the top of the fifth. Dew was nearly flawless in relief, holding the Camels to one hit with a pair of strikeouts in her 2.2 innings of action. Dew would give way to McKenna McCard for the final out in the top of the seventh as the senior helped record the final out on a fly out to capture the second win on the day – and the tournament title – for the Phoenix.
 
Wirt had two of the Phoenix's seven hits in the game to lead the maroon and gold. Kaitlyn Wells added three RBI and expanded her program single-season record to 58 RBI on the season.
 
Meredith Wells moved to 4-2 on the season after allowing two runs in her 4.0 innings of work.
 
On Deck
• The NCAA Tournament bracket and regional sites will be announced Sunday (May 11) at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.