ELON, N.C. – After battling back to tie the game in the third inning, the Elon University softball team was doomed by a five-run fifth frame by Pitt to fall to the Panthers, 7-2, in an early-week contest on Tuesday, March 7, at Hunt Softball Park.
Elon (10-8) faced its fourth school from the Atlantic Coast Conference in Pitt (13-5) this season in the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The Phoenix fell to 1-4 this year against members of the ACC. The defeat was also the third setback at home for the maroon and gold this season as Elon went to 10-3 inside the home confines of Hunt Softball Park.
At the Plate: The Phoenix had five hits in the contest by five different players…Kara Shutt added a two-run home run in the third, her first of the season…Alaina Hall moved into a tie for ninth all-time in school history in career hits with 192…Elon left five runners on base and was 1-for-10 with runners on.
In the Circle: Taking the loss in the circle for Elon was Kiandra Mitchum, who fell to 4-4 on the year…The junior pitched 4.1 innings and gave up seven hits and seven runs, six earned…Hailey Jomp tossed 2.2 scoreless innings in relief.
The Rundown: The Phoenix had the opportunity to strike early in the bottom of the second. Carey Million and Kristin Hoover led off the frame on a walk and an error with the pair advancing to scoring position after a sacrifice bunt. Elon would leave the runners on base however as a couple of fielder’s choices ended the threat.
Pitt got on the scoreboard first in the top of the third behind a two-out home run by McKayla Taylor. After Kaitlin Manuel led off the inning with a single, the Phoenix induced the next two outs on pop ups before Taylor hit her first homer of the season on a shot to left field to put the Panthers ahead 2-0.
Elon answered back with a two-spot of its own in the home half of the third. Shutt connected on her first home run of the season with a one-out, two-run blast over the right center wall to score herself and Hannah Olson, who had reached earlier on a fielder’s choice. That tied the game at 2-2 with momentum shifting to Elon’s favor, but after a single by Erica Serafini, the Phoenix could not bring her around as the inning ended with her stranded.
A five-run top of the fifth by the Panthers made the overall difference in the contest. Alexis Solak’s one-out grand slam gave Pitt a 6-2 advantage while giving Elon a four-run deficit. A Phoenix miscue aided another run coming across the plate for the Panthers prior to the end of the top of the fifth.
The Phoenix was held to just one hit the remainder of the game as the Panthers kept the maroon and gold bats at bay to earn the 7-2 victory.
On Deck
The Phoenix hosts its second tournament of the season, the Elon Phoenix Tournament, beginning on Friday, March 10, with a doubleheader versus Fairleigh Dickinson beginning at 2:30 p.m.