Lipscomb Outlasts Elon Softball in Extras, 5-4

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In the second-longest played game of the year nationally, the Elon University softball team battled Lipscomb for 11 innings, but the Bison came away with a 5-4 victory on Saturday, Feb. 23, in the Phoenix’s final game of the night at the Unconquered Invitational at the Florida State Seminole Softball Complex.

BOX SCORE

After opening the day with a win over Samford, Elon (7-5) looked to for the twin bill sweep on its second day at the tournament. Lipscomb improved to 8-6 overall on the season. The game ended up being the second-longest game played this season so far behind a 12-inning contest between North Texas and Cal Baptist on Feb. 8.

At the Plate: Elon had eight hits in the contest and left 10 base runners on base…Ashtyn Foddrell was 3-for-5 overall in the game with a double and one of three RBI driven in for Elon along with Ally Repko, and Rebecca Murray…Murray was 2-of-4 with two doubles in the contest.

In the Circle: Abby Barker took the loss in the circle to fall to 4-2 on the season…The Granville, Ohio, native pitched all 10.0 innings and allowed 12 hits and five runs in the contest.

The Rundown
The Bison scored three runs in the bottom of the second to put the Phoenix in an early disadvantage. Lipscomb blasted a one-out homerun to left center for the first run of the game and added two more on a two-RBI, two-out double down the left field line to make the score 3-0 in its favor.

Elon rallied to score two runs in the top half of the third. Murray reached on a one-out double and was joined on the bases by Allie Eith on a four-pitch walk. Another free pass to Erica Serafini loaded the bases before Murray scored on Repko’s sacrifice fly down the right field line. With the runners moving over on the play, Eith came across the dish after a wild pitch to bring Elon within one, 3-2.

The Phoenix tied the game in the top of the fourth. Elon once again loaded the bases with one out with Murray coming to the plate. The freshman battled a six-pitch, full count before being walked to bring in the tying run.

Elon took the lead in its half of the fifth. The Phoenix had runners on first and second when Foddrell hit a one-out single down the left field line, scoring Grace Sherron, who reached earlier in the inning on a walk. The score put the Phoenix ahead 4-3 going to the sixth.

Lipscomb tied the contest at four-all in the home half of the sixth. The Bison doubled with one out down the left field line with the batter moving to third on the next play on a fly out to center field. She would score on a RBI single to tie the game at 4-4 going to the seventh inning.

The Bison had the chance for the walk-off win in the bottom of the seventh. Lipscomb’s leadoff runner doubled to start the inning before the bases were loaded on back-to-back one-out walks. Barker and the Phoenix finagled its way out of the jam with the next two batters being induced on a foul out and a fly out to send the game into extras.

The Phoenix only had two hits total in the extra innings, courtesy of Foddrell and Murray in the 10th and 11th frames, respectively. Lipscomb had left four base runners on in the first three innings of extras with two coming in both the eighth and ninth frames.

The Bison came away with the walk-off win in its home half of the 11th. Lipscomb started the inning with a double to right center before ending the game on a RBI single up the middle to earn the 5-4 victory.

On Deck
Both teams are back on the diamond tomorrow morning, Feb. 24, for a rematch on the final day of the tournament at 10 a.m.