Elon University Athletics

ELON – The Elon softball team fell on the opening day of the CAA Tournament as the sixth-seeded Phoenix was handed a 4-3 setback versus third-seeded Campbell before suffering a 5-3 loss in an elimination game against fourth-seeded Stony Brook on Wednesday at Hunt Softball Park.
 
The losses dropped the Phoenix's overall ledger to 18-33 on the season.
 
Game One: Campbell 4, Elon 3
The Phoenix took the early lead in the opening frame. Jenna Klein reached on a two-out single before scoring on a Teagan Baulsir double to give Elon a 1-0 lead.
 
The Camels evened things up in the bottom of the second. Elon retired the first two batters, but Campbell stayed alive on a walk and a single before scoring on a single down the right field line to knot the game at 1-1.
 
Elon came back with a two-spot in the top of the fifth, again rallying with two outs. Mauri Murray reached on a one-out walk before a sacrifice bunt moved her to second. She was then lifted for a pinch runner. The Phoenix loaded the bases on back-to-back walks before Mary Moss Wirt hit a two-RBI single to right center, giving Elon a 3-1 lead.
 
Campbell came back and tied things up once again in the bottom of the fifth. The Camels knotted the game on a sacrifice bunt and a bases-loaded walk to even the contest at 3-3.
 
The Phoenix battled out of a jam in the bottom of the sixth. Campbell had runners in scoring position with one out before loading the bases on a two-out walk. Elon's Kyra Leonard worked out of the jam with a strikeout, leaving the bags full to escape the inning unharmed.
 
Campbell scored the walk-off run in the bottom of the seventh. The Camels drew a leadoff walk before a single pushed a runner to third. Campbell scored the winning run in the next at-bat as an RBI single secured the 4-3 win for the Camels.
 
The Phoenix had seven hits in the game, all coming from seven different players. Teagan Baulsir and Chloe Hatzopoulos each had a double for the Maroon and Gold while Wirt added two RBIs.
 
Leonard received the loss in the circle, falling to 0-2 on the season. The junior pitched 1.1 frames in relief of Anna Dew and allowed one run on three hits. Dew tossed 4.2 frames and allowed seven hits and three runs.
 
Game Two: Stony Brook 5, Elon 3
Elon fell behind early in its second game of the day. The Seawolves scored three runs with two outs, clearing the bases to take a 3-0 advantage over the Phoenix in the bottom of the first.
 
The Phoenix got a run back in the top of the second. Hatzopoulos reached on a one-out single to shallow right field before scoring on a Payton Swart double to left center, trimming Elon's deficit to 3-1.
 
Elon pulled closer with another run in the top of the third. Greta Hessenthaler reached on a one-out walk and moved to second on a groundout. A single up the middle from Klein pushed home Hessenthaler as Elon trailed by one, 3-2.
 
The Phoenix scratched across another run in the top of the fifth to tie things up. Elon loaded the bases with one out as Wirt drew a walk before Klein added another RBI on a groundout to short, tying the game at 3-3.
 
Stony Brook responded with a two-run bottom of the fifth to retake the lead. The Seawolves added a pair of runs on a couple of two-out singles, taking a 5-3 advantage after five.
 
Elon twice got the tying run to the plate in the sixth and seventh innings, but could not find a way to push a run home as the Seawolves staved off elimination with the 5-3 win.
 
The Phoenix posted six hits in the contest as Swart led the way with a 2-for-3 performance at the dish. She also added a double and an RBI to her stat line while Klein led the Phoenix with two RBIs.
 
Lia Miller was saddled with the loss in the circle, falling to 5-6 on the year. The junior pitched 5.0 innings and allowed five runs. Dew came on in relief and tossed 1.0 inning with one hit allowed.