ELON – Under clear skies and 75-degree weather, Elon's golden uniforms stood out as the Phoenix looked to take the series against the Hampton Pirates. All eyes were on starting pitcher Anna Dew, who took the circle determined to deliver.
Junior pitcher Anna Dew was firing on all cylinders throughout Sunday's game, allowing only two hits and holding Hampton scoreless in the 8-0 win. Her dominance set the tone early and gave Elon complete control.
Dew pointed to her execution and trust in her team in order to be effective in the circle.
"I think everything was working pitch wise," Dew said. "My rise balls and my changeups were but definitely throwing those like strikes as much as possible, and letting my defense work behind me. Having really quick innings as well today helped us, on the offensive side, have longer innings."
Her ability to command multiple pitches and keep innings short allowed Elon's offense to stay aggressive and build momentum throughout the game.
From the start, it was clear the Phoenix was in control, with Dew leading the way. After a strong opening inning, she felt confident in the team's direction.
"The first inning is the most important inning," Dew said." If we can go three up, that's a huge sign that we're going to have a great response the rest of the way. After the first inning, I had no doubts that we were going to hold it together on the defensive side. Then the offensive side showed up really early as well, and it's really important for us to score first."
That early momentum proved crucial, as Elon never looked back after establishing control in the first inning.
Despite an 8-0 shutout win on Friday, the Phoenix faced adversity on Saturday, falling to Hampton 6-2. Dew used that game as a learning opportunity to better understand the Pirates' approach at the plate.
"Watching Saturday and seeing their strengths hitting wise, there's a lot that I took away from that game," Dew said.
Although Dew did not pitch in Saturday's loss, she responded by throwing a shutout Sunday, showing her ability to adjust and improve.
Heading into Sunday, Dew carried a focused and determined mindset, aiming to refine her performance and elevate her game.
"I knew I could improve today, I had a lot of goals for myself today, mechanics wise, and I definitely had a lot more strikeouts today," Dew said. "I had more control of my pitches, and I'm really proud of myself, because I am more of a strikeout pitcher."
Her increased control and ability to generate strikeouts were evident, as she consistently kept Hampton hitters off balance.
Dew also emphasized the importance of maintaining defensive intensity regardless of the score.
"I think that shout outs just show us that we can keep that same exact momentum, defensive wise, and that no matter what, no matter how many runs we score, there's always going to be a fight to the very end, especially with our team," Dew said.
That defensive mindset has become a key identity for the Phoenix, helping the team stay locked in from the first pitch to the final out.
Dew also highlighted how her performance in the circle can positively impact the confidence of her teammates behind her.
"I think it gives our defense a lot of confidence, because if I'm not giving up a lot of hits, and all they have to do is make the plays behind me so it's not as difficult, and I'm getting those strikeouts, it's also me helping myself," Dew said.
The Phoenix will begin the series at Campbell on Friday at 5 p.m.
'Rising Phoenix' is a student-led initiative to cover Elon Athletics. Through innovative content creation and storytelling, Elon University students will have the opportunity to highlight the moments, people and events that make an impact, leveraging the athletic department's various web and social media platforms for distribution. Follow Rising Phoenix on X (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Sydney Spencer at sspencer9@elon.edu.
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