Balanced Attack Leads Elon Softball Over Campbell, 11-3

ELON, N.C. – A balanced hitting attack helped the Elon University softball team to its fourth win over its last five games with a 11-3 victory over Campbell on Tuesday evening, Feb. 21, at Hunt Softball Park.

BOX SCORE

The Phoenix (7-2) saw nine players record at least one hit and 11 overall versus the Camels (6-5) in the six innings of play. Both the 11 runs and 11 hits were Elon’s highest offensive output so far on the season as the maroon and gold also tallied 10 RBI in the contest.

“We talked to the team about coming out and playing hard every game,” said Phoenix head coach Kathy Bocock. “I thought we did a great job of coming out today, having a lot of energy and working through a couple of kinks early. The offense did a really solid job and our pitchers really came through for each other.”

At the Plate: Elon’s 10 RBI was the most the Phoenix had in a game since playing Drexel last season on March 26…Erica Serafini and Kara Shutt led the Phoenix at the plate with Shutt going 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI and two walks while Serafini was 2-for-4 with three RBI and a double…Elon had three doubles during the game with Kristin Hoover and Hannah Olson also recording one…Carey Million added a pair of RBI to give her a team-best 10 on the year.

In the Circle: Kiandra Mitchum (3-1) earned the victory in relief for the Phoenix after coming in the top of the fourth…Mitchum ended up pitching 2.1 scoreless innings with one hit allowed and three strikeouts…Starter Kenna Quinn pitched 3.2 innings and gave up four hits and three runs…Campbell had three wild pitches with Elon receiving four hit-by-pitches.

The Rundown: The Phoenix put up a three-spot in the bottom of the second. Hoover’s one-out double into left center scored Million, who reached earlier on a leadoff single, to plate the first run of the game. A follow-up single by Serafini advanced Hoover to third before she scored on a grounder to first. Serafini moved over to third on the play and scored the third run of the frame on a two-out wild pitch to put the Phoenix up 3-0.

Elon plated another run in the bottom of the fourth off the bat of sophomore Ashtyn Foddrell. The Warrenton, Va., native drove a two-out single into left center to score Olson, who reached earlier on a leadoff walk. That made the score 4-3 going into the top of the fourth.

Campbell answered with three runs of its own in the top of the fourth to cut the Phoenix’s lead to one, 4-3. A one-out RBI single up the middle by CU’s Megan Mozingo put the first runs of the game on the scoreboard for Campbell with runners at first and second. A balk advanced both runners into scoring position before another RBI single cut the Camels’ deficit in half, 4-2. After a walk loaded the bases, Elon went with a change in the circle as Mitchum replaced Quinn, but Campbell’s Abby Perryman singled into center with two outs to drive in a run. The Phoenix escaped the inning as Campbell tried to tie the game on the play, but the runner was thrown out at home by Shutt to close the frame.

In the home half of the fourth, Elon got three back on its side. The Phoenix loaded the bases after Olson received a free pass before Shutt drove in a pair on a single up the middle. A hit by pitch loaded the bases again for Elon before Million drove into another run on a grounder to put the Phoenix up 7-3 after the fourth.

After a quiet fifth, Elon tacked on four more runs to close out the contest in the bottom half of the sixth. Million’s sacrifice fly to right field scored Olson to make the score 8-3. Another hit-by-pitch loaded the bases again for the Phoenix with Serafini clearing them all on a three RBI double into center to end the game via a Elon run-rule victory, 11-3.

On Deck
Elon travels to the Citrus Classic for the third straight season in Orlando, Fla., this weekend, Feb. 24-26. The Phoenix opens the five-game tournament versus former conference opponent Georgia Southern on Friday, Feb. 24, at 11 a.m.