ELON, N.C. – Head coach Kathy Bocock earned her 290th career win as the Elon University softball team earned a 10-1 victory over Iona in its finale at the Phoenix Opening Tournament on Sunday, February 23, at Hunt Softball Park.
The Phoenix (8-4-1) plated its 10 runs during the first two innings of the contest, cruising to its third run-rule win of the season. Elon went 10-for-23 at the plate and had three players have multi-hit games with Alaina Hall, Emily Cameron and Ali Ford leading the way with two apiece.
Chelsea White (4-3) earned her third straight win after pitching 4.0 innings and giving up only one run on two hits. She also had two strikeouts and walked a batter. Sophomore Kayla Caruso saw her first action of 2014 in relief in the fifth inning, pitching a clean slate during in her outing.
The Phoenix jumped out quickly in the first due to some miscues by the Gaels. Hall, Carleigh Nester and Cameron all reached to load the bases before Emily Roper was walked to score the first run of the game at 1-0. Elon would move up 3-0 after Grace Eng flied out to the second baseman, but Nester would score after an errant throw to home. Cameron also plated a run on the play after the Gaels were slow to react to the ball, putting Elon ahead 3-0.
Roper crossed home plate on a Ford single to right center to make the score 4-0. Ford then stole second and advanced to third after another error. Ford would get tagged out at home on Lauren Oldham’s fielder’s choice, but the Phoenix added another run on a wild pitch to move up by five, 5-0.
Iona attempted to answer in the top of the second inning as Eileen McCann singled to left field and attempted to leg out a double. Cameron however threw her out at second base from left field for the first out of the inning. White retired the next two batters, moving the game into the bottom half of the frame.
Elon moved ahead 8-0 on a three-run home run by Cameron in the bottom of the inning. Hall and Nester both reached to lead off the frame before being driven in on Cameron’s sixth homer of the young season. Oldham added the ninth and tenth runs of the game for the maroon and gold on a two-RBI one-out single up the middle to push Elon’s advantage to 10-1.
Iona finally got on the board in the top of the third on a solo home run by Sarah Schutz, making the score 10-1. That would be the lone hit of the inning for the Gaels as White struck out the next batter and recorded the next two outs to quickly move into the bottom half.
The game ended in that score as the Phoenix concluded its first weekend at home by winning three out of four and improved Bocock’s mark to 12-3 all-time in home tournament games at Elon.
The Phoenix returns to Hunt Softball Park on Wednesday, Feb. 26, with a midweek matchup versus Charlotte. That game is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.