Elon Softball Earns Seventh Straight Win With 8-0 Victory Over Lafayette

ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team extended its win streak to seven games as the Phoenix defeated Lafayette, 8-0, in its opening game of the Elon Softball Tournament on Friday, March 6, at Hunt Softball Park.

Elon (10-4) tied its Division I school-record for consecutive wins after earning its first run-rule victory of the season against the Leopards (0-6). Starter Kiandra Mitchum (6-2) picked up her third straight win after going 2.2 innings with two hits allowed and a pair of strikeouts. Seniors Caitlin O’Shea and Eve Clausen also had scoreless frames in relief as Elon allowed only four hits total to the Leopards.

The pitching staff was aided by an offense that saw five players record at least one RBI. Sophomore Carey Million led the way at the plate after going 2-for-3 with three RBI while Emily Roper also went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Senior Aly Quintana added two more runs on a home run in the third.

The Phoenix plated all its runs in the first and third frames. Elon scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first after Roper hit a RBI single to the shortstop to drive in Hannah Olson, who had led off the inning with a single. Roper would be driven in on another single by Million up the middle to put the Phoenix up 2-0.

Lafayette started to put some pressure on the Phoenix in the top of the third. After Mitchum induced the first two outs of the inning, she hit and walked the next two batters prompting Elon to go with a change in the circle with O’Shea. O’Shea would retire the next batter on a groundout to end the inning.

In the bottom of the frame, Elon piled on six more runs including the Phoenix’s first home run of the year at home by Quintana. The Miami, Fla., native sent the ball over the left field fence to drive in Sarah Little to make the score 7-0. An RBI single by Alaina Hall added to the final score of the inning – and game – for the Phoenix.

Clausen relieved O’Shea in the top of the fifth and allowed only one hit before closing out the game for the Phoenix.

Elon is back in action tomorrow, March 7, to face Central Connecticut State at 12:45 p.m.