MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – A three-RBI double from Callie Horn was enough to make the difference as the Elon University softball team earned a 3-2 victory at College of Charleston on Saturday evening, April 6, at the Patriots Point Athletic Complex.
Elon moved to 20-14-1 on the season and 4-3 in the CAA. College of Charleston fell to 17-19 overall with a 2-5 ledger in league play. The teams were originally scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday, but rain in the forecast caused the twin to be moved to Sunday and play a single game today.
At the Plate: Both teams ended the game with five hits total…The Phoenix left four base runners on compared to seven for the Cougars…Horn had the only multi-hit effort on the day for either team as the Durham, N.C., native went 2-of-3 with three RBI and a double…Morgan Reich, Erica Serafini and Megan White were the other Phoenix players to record a base hit.
In the Circle: Abby Barker improved to 12-5 on the season after tossing her 12th complete game of the season…The Granville, Ohio, native allowed five hits, two runs with a strikeout in the Phoenix’s win.
The Rundown
Elon got the scoring going in the top of the second. After the first two batters were retired by the Cougars, the Phoenix rallied to keep the inning going and loaded the bases. Ashtyn Foddrell started the rally with a walk and advanced to third on a Megan White double to left field. After Lauryn Clarke loaded the bags on a hit-by-pitch, Horn cleared them on her double to left, putting the Phoenix ahead 3-0.
College of Charleston got a run back in the bottom of the third. Elon induced the first two outs, but the Cougars kept the inning alive on a single before a two-out triple to right center plated a run and cut the Phoenix’s deficit to two, 3-1.
The Cougars added another run to the scoreboard in its home half of the fourth. A one-out single gave CofC a runner on before a two-out double to center field scored her to cut the Phoenix’s lead to one, 3-2 heading into the fifth.
Rainfall prior to the top of the fifth caused a delay in the action. Both teams eventually returned to the field, but neither could not get much going offensively. The Phoenix had a baserunner reach in each of the final three frames, but could not add any insurance runs as College of Charleston kept the contest a one-score game.
Heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Cougars led off with a pinch hitter looking to spark its offense. The strategy worked as CofC opened with a double to give the Cougars the tying run in scoring position with no outs. A grounder on the next at bat moved the runner to third and just 60-feet from tying the game. Elon escaped the jam as Barker retired the next two batters on fly outs as Elon came away with the 3-2 victory.
On Deck
The series concludes with a doubleheader tomorrow, April 7, with the opening game set for a 12 p.m. opening pitch.