Elon Softball Falls on the Road at Charlotte, 7-2

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Elon University softball team suffered its first defeat of the season with a 7-2 setback at Charlotte on Wednesday, Feb. 13, at the Sue M. Daughtridge Stadium.

BOX SCORE

Elon (4-1) briefly took the lead against its intrastate foe in the fourth inning, but Charlotte (2-4) came back with six unanswered runs to earn its third straight victory over the maroon and gold.

At the Plate: The Phoenix had six hits in the game compared to 10 for the 49ers…Ashtyn Foddrell and Morgan Reich led the Phoenix at the plate with two hits each with Reich adding the lone RBI in the contest for Elon and a double.

In the Circle: Elise Walton (0-1) took the loss in the circle for the Phoenix in her first start of the season…The Lawrenceville, Va., native tossed 3.0 innings and allowed six hits, four runs, three earned, with a strikeout…Kenna Quinn relieved Walton and threw 3.0 innings and gave up four hits, three runs and also had a strikeout.

The Rundown
Charlotte plated the first run in the bottom of the first off some Phoenix miscues. The 49ers’ leadoff batter reached on a bunt single and advanced to second after a throwing error. Elon retired the next two batters, but another error helped the 49ers score to move ahead 1-0.

Elon had a great chance to add its first runs of the game in the top half of the second. Megan White led off with a single to left field and moved to second on a one-out single through the left side from Foddrell. The Phoenix then drew a walk that loaded bases with only one out, but the next two batters were retired on a strikeout and a ground out to leave the ducks on the pond.

The Phoenix got on the scoreboard in the top half of the fourth. After the first two batters were set down in order to begin the frame, Foddrell reached on a bloop single to get a runner on. Keagan Goldwait then followed with another bloop single into shallow right field, moving Foddrell to third. A throwing error by the center fielder on the play led to Foddrell scoring the tying run with Goldwait moving to second. A RBI double from Reich scored Goldwait and gave the Phoenix the 2-1 lead.

Charlotte put up a three-spot in its home half of the fourth. The 49ers loaded bases with no outs after a single, a double and a walk led off the inning. Another walk plated the tying run for the 49ers while leaving the Phoenix still in a jam with no outs and the bases loaded. A two-RBI single gave Charlotte the lead, 4-2, on the next at bat over the Phoenix.

The 49ers added insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth frames. Charlotte plated a run on a RBI single in the bottom of the fifth and had two more cross the dish on a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth.

Reich would get on in the top of the seventh, but the Phoenix could not move her as the Phoenix fell to the 49ers, 7-2.

On Deck
Elon hosts its second home tournament of the season, the Elon February Classic, this weekend, Feb. 15-17, at Hunt Softball Park.