PHILADELPHIA – The Elon University softball team swept Drexel in a doubleheader on Saturday, March 28, to earn the program’s first-ever Colonial Athletic Association series win at the Drexel Softball Complex. The Phoenix had a 6-4 come-from-behind victory in game one before concluding the twin bill with a 10-0 run-rule win in the second contest.
The Phoenix (21-9, 3-2 CAA) and the Dragons (9-10, 1-3 CAA) close out the weekend with the series finale tomorrow, March 29, at noon.
Elon 6, Drexel 4
The Phoenix jumped out first in the first frame of the opening game. Caitlin O’Shea led off the game with a double to left field and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Alaina Hall. O’Shea would score off a single to right by Kara Shutt as the Phoenix took a 1-0 lead after the top of the first.
Drexel tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second inning. Gabriela Kuroda sent a solo home run over the fence in center field for the Dragons.
Elon retook the lead in the top of the third. Emily Roper reached on a fielder’s choice, but an errant throw by the third baseman to first led to Shutt scoring from second and the Phoenix moving up 2-1 over the Dragons.
The Dragons responded with a three-run bottom of the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. The leadoff batter doubled and moved to second on an Elon error that also led to another runner reaching base. After the bags became full, Drexel tied the game on a one-out walk and went in front on a grounder to second by the following batter. An infield RBI single pushed the Dragons’ lead to 4-2 moving to the top of the sixth.
The lead would be short-lived as Elon tied the game for the third time. Emily Cameron reached on a one-out error by the third baseman before Carey Million knotted the game at 4-4 on her second home run of the season to right field.
The Phoenix took control in the top of the seventh. Hall roped a one-out triple to right field and was joined on the base paths by Shutt, who reached on a walk and stole second. The pair came in on a single to center by Roper to put the maroon and gold up 6-4.
O’Shea (2-2) tossed a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh to earn the win in relief. The senior from Kennesaw, Ga., went 3.0 innings in relief giving up one hit and two runs, but both were unearned. Starter Kiandra Mitchum went 4.0 innings in the circle and allowed three hits and two runs with three strikeouts.
Hall had two of the Phoenix’s eight hits on the day after going 2-for-2. Million and Roper both went 1-for-4 with two RBI.
Elon 10, Drexel 0
Elon scored the first run of the second game on a Drexel error in the top of the second. The Phoenix loaded the bases after O’Shea reached on a one-out fielder’s choice before Aly Quintana scored on error by the Dragons’ second baseman. After Elon loaded the bags again on a walk by Shutt, Roper drew a hit-by-pitch to plate the second run of the contest and give the Phoenix a 2-0 lead after the first.
After both teams went scoreless in the third inning, Elon plated eight runs in the top of the fourth to take a commanding 10-0 lead. The Phoenix had only four hits in the frame as a number of the runs were scored due to some miscues on the behalf of Drexel. Shutt, Million, Sarah Little, Quintana, Grace Eng, O’Shea, Hall and Roper each had an RBI in the inning.
Kayla Caruso (7-1) cruised to victory in the circle after pitching 4.0 innings and gave up three hits and no runs with two strikeouts. Senior Eve Clausen tossed a scoreless fifth to close out the game.
Million went 2-for-4 to lead the Phoenix at the plate in the second contest. The Roebling, N.J., native also had an RBI. Roper drove in two RBI despite not having an official at-bat in the game as she drew three hit-by-pitches and a walk.