ELON, N.C. – Freshman Cyra Cottrell sent two home runs over East Field’s left field fence to lead the Elon softball team to an 8-2 win over North Carolina Central in the final game of the Elon Invitational. The win makes the Phoenix a perfect 4-0 on the season after opening weekend, while the Eagles fall to 1-5.
Kari Pervell (1-0) earned the win in her first appearance of the year, going six innings and allowing one earned run off five hits while also striking out four. Karen Berna relieved Pervell in the seventh inning, facing the final four batters of the game and striking out one. The loss went to NCCU’s Aurora Baker (0-3) who gave up all eight runs, four earned, off eight hits.
Cottrell went 2-for-3 on the day with both her hits coming in the form of home runs. Carleigh Nester drove in three runs off her two hits of the game and stole two bases, while Camille Hill scored two runs and recorded two RBI off one hit.
The Phoenix struck early, putting two runs on the board in the bottom of the first. Hill, the first batter up for the maroon and gold, was hit by a pitch to reach base and then advanced off a passed ball and sacrifice bunt by Tomeka Watson. Nester drove home Hill with a single to center field to score Elon’s first run of the day. After stealing second, a single up the middle by Kaitlyn Piazzolla helped bring home Nester for a 2-0 Phoenix lead.
N.C. Central closed the gap to one run in the top of the third, 2-1, with a score by Mae’Risha Watts. Watts reached base on a bunt, moved to second off another bunt by Nadia Jeffries and scored as Naria Moreta reached on a throwing error.
With one out in the fourth inning, Cottrell got another run on the board for the Phoenix with her first home run of the day. Hill would later drive in Sarah Little and McKenzie Harrelson off a single to third to move the Phoenix advantage to four, 5-1. After Watson reached on a fielding error by Eagles’ third baseman Sarah Kaiser and Hill had advanced to third, Nester sent her second hit of the day up the middle for a single that scored two more runs. Elon came out of the inning with five runs off four hits and a six-run lead, 7-1.
Cottrell started the bottom of the fifth off where she left off the previous inning, sending Baker’s pitch to left field for another home run and Elon’s eighth run of the day.
The Eagles added a run in the top of the sixth off a sacrifice fly to right field by Kaiser that scored Martha Batie, who pinch ran for Andrea Searls after she had singled up the middle to start the inning. The Phoenix lead was too much for NCCU to overcome as the game ended in favor of the maroon and gold, 8-2.
The Elon softball team will return to East Field on Friday, Feb. 17, for a 2 p.m. game against Presbyterian in the first game of the Phoenix Softball Clash.