Elon Softball Set for CAA Showdown at Drexel

ELON, N.C. – In a battle between two of the top three teams in the league standings, the Elon University softball team is set for a Colonial Athletic Association showdown at Drexel this weekend, April 20-21. The Phoenix and the Dragons open with a doubleheader on Saturday at 2 p.m. before closing the three-game series on Sunday at 11 a.m. at the Drexel Softball Field.

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Follow the Phoenix
Live stats will be available to follow along with Twitter updates from the program’s handle, @ElonSoftball. The series will be streamed through Drexel’s athletic website at drexelsragons.com.

Inside the Series: Drexel (Elon leads 12-0)
Entering the weekend, Drexel (27-15-1, 8-4 CAA) and Elon (25-16-1, 7-5 CAA) sit second and third in the CAA standings, respectively. Since becoming league foes in 2015, the Phoenix is 12-0 versus the Dragons and 6-0 at Drexel. Last season, the Phoenix outscored the Dragons, 34-11, in the three-game series at Elon including a 17-10 outing in the series finale.

Last Time Out
The Phoenix picked up a 5-4 win over NC State in a midweek contest this past Wednesday, April 17. Elon scored four runs in the fifth inning to earn its first victory over the Wolfpack since 2016 and its third win of the season against a school from a Power 5 conference.

Kenna Quinn pitched a complete game for the Phoenix, posting a season-high five strikeouts against the Wolfpack. Elon registered five hits on the day with two coming from Erica Serafini, who was 2-of-3 with an RBI and a double. Morgan Reich posted her fourth home run of the season while Callie Horn also contributed with a double to her stat line.

White Earns Second CAA Rookie Accolade
On Monday, April 15, Megan White was selected as the CAA Rookie of the Week for the second straight week. The Creedmoor, N.C., native was instrumental in helping the Phoenix in the series win over Delaware, hitting .300 in the series overall. She went 2-of-4 at the plate with two RBI and a double in the series clinching 8-3 win over the Blue Hens on Sunday, April 14.

White was also honored by the CAA last Monday, April 8, as the Rookie of the Week. Teammates Allie Eith (Feb. 12) and Keagan Goldwait (Feb. 26) were also rewarded by the league office earlier this season.

Around the Horn
• The Phoenix is 24-16-1 on the season and 7-5 overall in the CAA standings. Elon is currently third in the league standings behind James Madison (11-1) and Drexel (8-4). The Phoenix handed the Dukes its lone league loss earlier this season.
• This season marks the 30th season of Elon softball during its fastpitch era and the 20th at the Division I level.
• As a team, Elon is hitting .254 overall on the year with 182 runs scored, 73 doubles, 25 home runs and 161 RBI. The Phoenix is in the top-five of the Colonial Athletic Association in slugging percentage (.403), doubles (73), home runs (25) and walks (139).
• As a team, the Phoenix ranks seventh overall in the nation in doubles per game at 1.78. This weekend’s matchup will feature two teams in the top-10 of the country in doubles per game as Drexel sits fourth overall at 1.84.
• With its 25 home runs so far this season, the Phoenix has already surpassed its 2018 season total in round trippers and has its highest total since 2016. Elon has also welcomed the recent power surge of Reich and Callie Horn with the long ball. After being homerless in their careers combined coming into the season, both players are tied for the team-lead with four in 2019.
• Ally Repko leads the CAA in walks with 29 and is also 34th in the country in walks per game at 0.71. The sophomore is tied for the team-lead in homers with four and is tied with Horn for the team-lead in RBI with 21.
• Horn is hitting .278 overall on the year, but the Durham, N.C., native has picked up her play at the plate during league play. The senior is hitting a team-best .394 in the 12 CAA games with five doubles and five RBI.
• All seven of the Phoenix’s active freshmen has seen time early in the season. Six of those players have had their number called in the lineup with five starting at least 19 out of the 40 games this season.
• In the circle, Elon has posted a 3.63 ERA in 273.2 innings of action. The Phoenix has also struck out 115 batters compared to 130 walks.
• Redshirt junior Abby Barker paces the team with her 14-6 record with a 2.48 ERA in 121.1 innings of action. Her 14 wins are tied for the CAA-lead and are tied for the fifth-most in a single-season for Elon at the Division I level.
• Phoenix head coach Kathy Bocock surpassed her 200th career win on March 29, against UNCW. The feat helped Bocock become the third coach in school history with 200 or more wins.
• In the 2019 CAA Preseason Poll, the Phoenix was tabbed to finish sixth by the league’s head coaches.

Scouting Drexel (25-15-1, 8-4 CAA)
The Dragons are having one of their best seasons in recent memory, posting its highest win total since 2009 and has already surpassed its CAA win total from the past three seasons combined. Drexel swept Delaware State in a twin bill in its most recent contest on Tuesday, but fell to Hofstra in its last league series.

Drexel is one of the more dangerous offensive teams in the country. The Dragons’ .334 batting average is ninth in the country and they are also in the top-20 of the nation in scoring (7.07), on-base percentage (.413), home runs per game (1.26) and slugging percentage (.538). The duo of junior Linda Rush and Kristi DiMeo have been a potent combination for the Dragons in 2019. Both players have combined for 33 home runs and 125 RBI between them. Rush’s .435 average is 19th in the country while DiMeo is 42nd at .418.

In the circle, The Dragons have a 4.87 team ERA in 281.0 innings. Brooklyn Daly is tied with Barker for the CAA lead in wins with her 14-4 record. She has posted a 4.51 ERA in 107.2 innings. Devon Grippe has a team-low ERA of 3.02 in 101.1 innings and is 8-6 on the season.

On Deck
The Phoenix heads to North Carolina A&T for its final nonconference game on its schedule next Wednesday, April 24. That game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. first pitch.