COLUMBIA, S.C. – An early attack by the Elon University softball team gave the Phoenix a spark in its NCAA Regional contest at South Carolina, but the Gamecocks withheld the early momentum to hand the maroon and gold a 5-2 setback on Friday, May 16 at Carolina Stadium at Beckham Field.
 
Elon falls to 30-20 on the season while the Gamecocks improve to 41-15. Both teams met for the fifth time on the softball diamond for their first matchup since 2021.
 
At the Plate
• Both teams were tied with six hits in the contest. The top three of the Phoenix's lineup – Greta Hessenthaler, Allee Seering and Kaitlyn Wells – each had two hits to pace Elon. Hessenthaler and Wells both added RBI to their stat lines with Hessenthaler adding a double.
 
In the Circle
• McKenna McCard took the loss for the Phoenix, falling to 13-5 on the season. The senior pitched 3.0 innings and allowed three earned runs with a pair of strikeouts.
• Meredith Wells tossed 3.0 scoreless innings in relief, yielding only two hits.
 
The Rundown
• Elon attacked early in the opening frame with Hessenthaler setting the tone. The sophomore reached on a leadoff single, then was joined on the bases by Seering on a bunt single. Kaitlyn Wells then added the Phoenix's first run of the contest with an RBI single through the right side, scoring Hessenthaler to give the Phoenix a 1-0 lead. The Phoenix's next three batters went down in strikes to leave two on base going to the bottom of the first.
• South Carolina put up a three-spot in its half of the first. The Gamecocks capitalized on a Phoenix error to score two runs before adding another on a two-out double to go ahead 3-1.
• Elon struck back in the top of the second. Mary Moss Wirt reached on a free pass to start the inning, but was in danger of being stranded as the next two batters were retired on a popup and a foul out before the lineup turned over Hessenthaler. The Liberty, N.C., native drove a 2-2 count double into right center, pushing Wirt across the dish as the Phoenix got a run back on the scoreboard and trailed 3-2. The Gamecocks would make a pitching change after Seering joined Hessenthaler on base on a single, with the move paying off as a strikeout would end the frame.
• The Gamecocks would add to their lead in the bottom of the third. South Carolina hit a two-run home run, adding some insurance runs for a 5-2 advantage. Elon would recover to retire the side, but faced a three-run deficit.
• The Phoenix was held to one hit for the remainder of the game, which came from Kaitlyn Wells in the top of the fifth. The 5-2 lead for South Carolina would serve as the winning score with the Gamecocks advancing in the winner's bracket.
 
On Deck
• Elon faces Virginia tomorrow, May 17, at 3:30 p.m. in the loser's bracket game. With a win, the Phoenix will face the winner between South Carolina and North Florida, with the two teams facing each other to start the second day of the regional at 1 p.m.