Elon Women’s Softball Resumes SoCon Play Vesus Local Rival UNCG

ELON, N.C. – Fresh off its spring trip to Florida, the Elon softball team will resume Southern Conference play this weekend, March 29-30, as the Phoenix (11-17, 1-5 SoCon) host local rival UNCG (23-7, 5-3 SoCon). Both teams will square off in a single-game matchup on Friday beginning at 5 p.m. before concluding the series in a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. inside Hunt Softball Park.

Live Coverage
Fans can follow the action of the series via live stats by going to the Elon softball schedule page at elonphoenix.com. Live video of the series will be streamed at the Elon Phoenix page at ustream.com. Twitter updates will also be provided at @ElonScores.

Promotions
This weekend is the promotion of the Elon Easter Egg Hunt around the park prior to the games or during inning breaks.

Series History
Prior to this weekend, both Elon and UNCG have met 58 times in the I-40 series that dates back to 1990 in the fast-pitch era. Elon holds a slight edge in the all-time meeting between the two schools with a record of 29-28-1. The Phoenix won two out of three in last year’s matchup at UNCG, blanking the Spartans 8-0 in the series finale.

Last Time Out
Elon is coming off a six-game, five-day trip in the state of Florida. The Phoenix participated in the FAU Parents Weekend Tournament on March 23-24, then traveled to Jacksonville for a doubleheader with the Dolphins on Tuesday, March 26. The Phoenix would drop both contests to the Dolphins, 7-2 and 11-1 despite scoring early in both games.

Scouting the Phoenix
Elon is 11-17 this season and will be looking to snap a six-game skid this weekend. The maroon and gold are also looking to improve on its 1-5 standing during SoCon play. Despite its recent struggles at the plate, the Phoenix still rank among the top offensive teams in the league with its .279 average and conference-best 25 home runs on the year.

Tomeka Watson needs one hit to become the program’s all-time leader in that category. The senior outfielder is currently tied with Dani Concepcion (2002-05) with 229 career base knocks and is tied for second in the SoCon with 36 on the year. The Jackson, Ga., native heads the league in six offensive categories.

In the circle, Kayla Caruso and Chelsea White continue to pace the staff with 82.2 and 44.2 innings pitched, respectively. Caruso has a team-low 3.39 ERA on the year in her freshman campaign and has a staff-best five wins on the year.

Scouting UNCG
UNCG is 23-7 on the year and 5-3 in SoCon play. The Spartans are coming off a sweep at the hands of Furman on Saturday, March 23, in Greensboro in their recent contests. Like Elon, UNCG ranks among the top teams offensively in the league with a .289 average as a unit.

Watson (.414) and UNCG’s Katelyn Bedwell (.400) are the only members of the conference currently batting over .400. Bedwell also leads the team with 28 RBI on the season for the Spartans. The Spartans’ Lindsay Thomas is tied with Watson for the SoCon lead in home runs with 13.

Raeanne Hanks leads the four-person pitching staff for UNCG with a 12-3 record, 1.69 ERA and three saves in her 99.1 innings. As a team, the Spartans are posting a 2.66 ERA, second-best in the league.

On Deck
Elon continue its home stand by hosting Longwood in a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 2. The first game is slated for a 4 p.m. start.