GREENSBORO, N.C. – Junior Kiandra Mitchum tossed a one-hit shutout with eight strikeouts to lead the Elon University softball team to a 1-0 victory at North Carolina A&T on Wednesday evening, March 29, at the Lady Aggies Softball Complex.
Elon (20-11) snapped its two-game losing streak and won its 900th game overall as a program since beginning collegiate competition in 1977. The win over the Lady Aggies (8-20-1) ended a eight-game road swing in which the Phoenix posted a 5-3 mark.
At the Plate: Alaina Hall had two of the Phoenix’s three hits in the game, including the lone RBI of the contest…Hall finished 2-for-3 with a double and extended her hit streak to 10 games, tying for the longest on the team this season…Hannah Olson had the only other hit in the game for Elon as she went 1-for-3.
In the Circle: Mitchum (11-6) was dominant throughout as the Mechanicsville, Va., native retired the first 14 batters she faced…She went the full distance for the seventh time this season and gave up one hit while fanning eight…Over Mitchum’s last 10 starts, she has a 7-1 record with a 0.74 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 57.0 innings.
The Rundown: Elon broke a pitchers’ duel in the top of the third. Olson reached on a fielder’s choice with two outs and was driven home on a double into left center by Hall. The run gave the maroon and gold a 1-0 advantage after the frame.
The Aggies broke up Mitchum’s perfect game in the bottom of the fifth. After the lefty hurler set down the first two batters on the frame on popups, N.C. A&T’s Nathaly Pacheco drove a single into left field to get the Lady Aggies their first base runner of the game. Mitchum quickly recovered and recorded the final out on a fielder’s choice to escape the inning.
In the sixth, Elon had an opportunity to add some insurance runs to the scoreboard. Olson and Hall led off the inning with singles and attempted a double steal to move into scoring position. Olson would be thrown out at third on the play, but Hall stood at second with only one out. However, the Lady Aggies induced the next two outs via strikeouts to leave her stranded and end the threat.
The one run would be enough for Mitchum as she retired the order in the bottom of the sixth and seventh frames to help the Phoenix escape with the 1-0 victory.
On Deck
Elon hosts its first Colonial Athletic Association series this weekend as the Phoenix welcomes league leader UNCW to Hunt Softball Park for a three-game series from April 1-2. The series begins on Saturday with a twin bill at 1 p.m.