Elon Softball to Host Syracuse in Early Week Tilt

ELON, N.C. – Riding a current seven-game winning streak, the Elon University softball team closes out a 13-game homestand on Tuesday, March 11, as the Phoenix welcomes Syracuse to Hunt Softball Park for an early week matchup. The first pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

Live Coverage
Fans can follow the Phoenix via live stats by going to the Elon softball schedule page at elonphoenix.com. The game will also be streamed online free of charge through the Phoenix All-Access channel at elonphoenix.com. Twitter updates will also be provided the handle @ElonScores or @ElonUSoftball.

Series History
Tuesday’s contest will be the first-ever all-time meeting between the Phoenix and the Orange.

Last Time Out
Elon won its sixth and seventh straight game on Sunday, March 9, with a pair of 3-2 victories over Towson and Radford. The Phoenix fell behind 2-0 early to the Tigers before rallying to tie the game and force extras. Freshman Carey Million gave the maroon and gold the victory on a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth that scored pinch runner Emilie Rowand.

Against the Highlanders, Elon jumped out to a 3-0 lead through the first five innings. Juniors Grace Eng and Aly Quintana led the way offensively with an RBI apiece, including a solo homer by Eng in the fifth inning. Radford would rally with a pair of solo home runs in the top of the seventh, but Elon held on for the win.

Scouting the Phoenix (15-5-1)
The Phoenix’s seven-game win streak is tied for the program’s longest at the Division I era. Elon also won seven in a row in 2010 when the program won a school-record 38 games. Head coach Kathy Bocock was a member of the Phoenix coaching staff that season and picked up win No. 60 at Elon on Sunday against Radford as well as career win No. 297.

Sophomore Emily Cameron raised her batting average to .424 after going 4-for-6 versus Towson and Radford. Cameron is one of six players on the Phoenix batting .300 or better among players with at least 10 at bats.

As a team, Elon has already hit 28 home runs this season through 21 games with Cameron and Carleigh Nester leading the way with six and Eng not far behind with five. Last season, the Phoenix hit 38 homers in its 52 games.

Junior Chelsea White earned her sixth straight win on Sunday against Radford and has a team-best seven wins on the season. Fellow junior Caitlin O’Shea also played a part in each of the Phoenix’s three wins last week. The Kennesaw, Ga., native picked up wins against Presbyterian and Towson before earning her second career save versus Radford.

Scouting Syracuse (5-13)
Ninth-year head coach Leigh Ross is at the helm of the Syracuse softball program that is in its first year in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Orange began 2014 receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll after coming off a 23-29 2013 campaign.

Offensively, SU has four players currently hitting .300 or better. Freshman catcher Nicole Lundstrom has stood out at the plate this season with a .358 average and team-bests in hits (19), home runs (four) and RBI. Jasmine Watson is tied for the team-lead with Lundstrom with four homers while hitting .280 on the year.

The Syracuse troika of Christina Clermont, Sydney O’Hara and Lindsay Taylor has seen the most time in the circle for the Orange this season. Clermont paces the team in innings (44.1) while O’Hara has a team-best three wins on the year. Taylor has posted a staff-low ERA of 4.05 for Syracuse.

On Deck
Elon opens Southern Conference play this weekend with a three-game series at Western Carolina beginning on Saturday, March 15, in a doubleheader. That game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.