Million’s Big Day Lifts Elon Softball to Twin Bill Sweep of Lady Eagles

ELON, N.C. – A pair of home runs on the day by senior Carey Million helped lift the Elon University softball team to a doubleheader sweep of North Carolina Central on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 18. The Phoenix took game one, 6-1, before handing the Lady Eagles a 10-2 victory by run-rule in the second game to close out the twin bill at Hunt Softball Park.

Game One | Game Two

Elon’s (5-1) improved to 5-0 at home for the season and 10-0 all-time versus North Carolina Central (1-5). The Phoenix’s win in the opening game was also the program’s 700th victory overall at the fast pitch level.

Million was 3-for-4 between the two games with a pair of home runs and five RBI. Sophomore Erica Serafini also homered during the day while going 4-for-6 with a double and six RBI. Kenna Quinn (3-0) and Kiandra Mitchum (2-1) earned victories in the circle for the maroon and gold in games one and two, respectively.

Game One: Elon 6, North Carolina Central 1
The Rundown: In the opening game, Quinn battled NCCU’s Dominique Wilson in a pitchers’ duel in the first four innings. The Phoenix was held without a hit until the fourth inning as Wilson retired 12 of the first 13 batters she faced, but Quinn also finagled out of a couple of jams in the early innings to keep the game scoreless going into the fifth.

In the fifth frame, NCCU loaded the bases behind a couple of Phoenix fielding miscues. Ryann Kostandin reached on a one-out single then advanced to second on a fielder’s choice to give the Lady Eagles runners at first and second. Another error on another fielder’s choice loaded the bases for NCCU with only one out, but Elon recorded the second putout on a foul out to third. The Lady Eagles plated the first run of the game however after a hit-by-pitch before a popup closed the top of the fifth.

The Phoenix bats came alive in the home half of the frame. Million led off with a single and moved to second on a single by Ashtyn Foddrell. Both runners then moved into scoring position on a stolen base before an RBI single by Serafini tied the game at 1-1. Elon jumped in front on the next at bat on Alaina Hall’s RBI double into left center that put Elon ahead 2-1.

After Quinn set down NCCU’s order in the top of the sixth, Elon secured its lead with a four-run home half. With a runner on with one out, Million connected on her first home run of the season with a two-run shot into left field to put the Phoenix up 4-1. Serafini added to the advantage with a two-run homer of her own, also to left, to put the maroon and gold up 6-1 and pull out with the game one win.

At the Plate: The Phoenix had nine hits in the contest while holding NCCU to nine runners left on base…Hall, Million and Serafini had multi-hit performances at the plate with all three going 2-for-3…Million’s and Serafini’s home runs gave the Phoenix its first multi-homer game of the year.

In the Circle: Quinn went the full distance in the circle for the second time this season and allowed five hits and one run, which was unearned, with a career-best seven strikeouts…Wilson went five innings with five hits and two runs allowed.

Game Two: Elon 10, North Carolina Central 2 (5)
The Rundown: In the start of the second game, Elon found itself in an early 2-0 deficit after the opening frame. Kostandin opened the game with a double down the right field line and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. She scored on another double, this time off the bat of Kim Mobley, to plate the first run of the contest. Wilson drove in Mobley with a RBI single into right field that gave NCCU a 2-0 lead after the top of the first.

Elon answered with a four-run bottom half of the first. Hannah Olson and Kara Shutt provided back-to-back one-out singles and moved into scoring position on a stolen base with two outs. They would be driven in on Million’s second home run of the day, a three-run blast into left, that put the Phoenix ahead 3-2. Elon added another run off the bat of a Morgan Reich RBI double into left that put the Phoenix ahead 4-2.

The Phoenix continued to add to its lead, scoring at least one run in the second, third and fourth innings. In the fourth with the Phoenix ahead 7-2, Elon loaded the bases with two outs after Reich drew a walk. Serafini then cleared the bases with a double into left center that put Elon up 10-2 which held as the final score as the Phoenix earned its first run-run victory of the year.

At the Plate: Elon had 10 hits in the game while holding the Lady Eagles to seven runners left on base…Shutt was 2-for-2 at the dish while Serafini and Hall were 2-for-3 with four combined RBI…Serafini also had a double as did Reich, her first of the year…Million was 1-for-1 with two runs scored, three RBI with a pair of walks.

In the Circle: Mitchum received the win for the Phoenix after pitching 3.0 innings with five hits and two runs allowed with a strikeout…Hailey Jomp pitched 2.0 scoreless innings in relief allowed three hits.

On Deck
Elon is back at Hunt Softball Park tomorrow, Feb. 19, to host its second doubleheader of the weekend with a contest against Virginia. The first game is scheduled for a 12 p.m. start.