Elon University Athletics

GREENSBORO – With a postseason berth on the line, the Elon softball team answered the call several times, eventually earning an 8-6 come-from-behind, extra-inning win at North Carolina A&T in its CAA rubber match on Friday.
 
Teagan Baulsir gave the Phoenix (18-31, 12-12 CAA) the go-ahead run with her RBI double in the top of the eighth. The clutch hit helped Elon overcome a 6-3 deficit against the Aggies (20-33, 5-19 CAA) as both teams completed their regular season schedules.
 
The win, coupled with a Monmouth loss to Hofstra earlier in the day, secured the Phoenix a berth in the 2026 CAA Championships, hosted next week, May 6-9, at Hunt Softball Park. It is Elon's seventh straight appearance at the league championships, excluding the 2020 season that was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
At the Plate

• The Phoenix recorded nine hits in the game, with six players having at least one base hit. Elon was clutch with two outs, batting 4-for-13 against the Aggies.
• Baulsir was one of three players with a multi-hit game, as the junior went 2-for-4 with both hits being doubles. Jenna Klein also went 2-for-4 at the plate, driving in a team-high two RBI while scoring two runs.
• Greta Hessenthaler had a pair of hits in her 2-for-5 performance at the plate while also scoring two runs. Payton Swart drew all three walks for Elon.

 
In the Circle

• Anna Dew improved to 12-12 after tossing 6.0 innings in relief. The Harrisburg, N.C., native struck out seven and allowed one earned run in the contest. She also surrendered just two hits.
• Dew's strikeout total reached 134 on the season, placing her fourth all-time on the program's single-season list at the Division I level.
• Starter Lia Miller went 2.0 innings and allowed four runs on five hits with a walk.

 
The Rundown
The Phoenix struck first in the top of the first. Hessenthaler reached on a bloop single to right center and moved to second on a wild pitch. An error pushed her to third before she scored on a sacrifice fly from Klein to give the Phoenix a 1-0 lead.
 
The Aggies responded in their half of the first. N.C. A&T opened the frame with a leadoff double before advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt. An RBI single to left allowed the Aggies to tie the game at 1-1 before the hosts added to their lead with a two-out, two-RBI double to take a 3-1 advantage after one.
 
Elon tied the game in the top of the third, rallying with two outs. With Klein and Chloe Hatzopoulos on base, Swart drove a single up the middle, scoring Klein from second while Hatzopoulos moved to third. In the next at-bat, Mauri Murray hit a grounder to third, but the fielder had trouble corralling it, leading to Hatzopoulos scoring the tying run on the error to knot the game at 3-3.
 
N.C. A&T answered once again in its half of the third. The Aggies saw a pair of runners reach before hitting a three-run home run to retake the lead, taking a 6-3 advantage after the third.
 
The Phoenix got some runs back in the top of the fourth. A couple of errors led to Elon having a pair of runners reach to lead off the inning before a third error pushed home a run to make it a two-run game. Klein drove in another run on an RBI groundout, trimming Elon's deficit to one with one out. The Phoenix could not continue the rally as the next two batters were retired with Elon down 6-5.
 
Elon tied the game in the top of the fifth, rallying once again with two outs. Swart reached on a leadoff walk, but the next two batters were retired to leave the Phoenix down to its final out of the inning. Reili Gardner kept the inning alive with a single before Hessenthaler drove home Swart on a single to center, knotting the game at 6-6.
 
The game went to extras with the Phoenix finally taking its first lead of the contest in the top of the eighth. Klein reached on a one-out double and moved to third on a passed ball. Baulsir then drove a deep fly ball to center, with the double allowing Klein to score and give Elon the go-ahead run. Baulsir later crossed the plate on another Aggies miscue, scoring on a wild pitch from third to give the Phoenix an insurance run going to the bottom of the eighth.
 
N.C. A&T saw its first two batters retired by Dew on back-to-back strikeouts before bringing the tying run to the plate after drawing a walk. The Phoenix was able to induce the final out on a fielder's choice, securing the 8-6 victory and series win.
 
On Deck
Elon will return to the diamond for the 2026 CAA Softball Championships at Hunt Softball Park on Wednesday, May 6. The Phoenix's seeding, matchup and game time will be determined after the conclusion of the CAA regular season tomorrow.