MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – An eight-RBI day for senior Ally Repko between games one and two helped the Elon University softball team to a doubleheader sweep over College of Charleston on Saturday, April 10, at the Patriots Point Complex. The Phoenix took the opening game, 8-3, before clinching the series with a 9-1 win in the second contest.
Elon moved to 12-14 overall on the season and improved to 5-3 during Colonial Athletic Association Play. The Cougars fell to 6-23 overall and 0-8 in the CAA.
“Today was a great day for the Elon softball team,” said Elon head coach Kathy Bocock. “We worked well on all sides of the game to earn a couple of great wins against a very competitive College of Charleston team.”
Game One: Elon 8, College of Charleston 3
Game One Box
The Cougars jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first mostly behind a Phoenix error. Noel Dominguez drove a single into right field, which was misplayed by the fielder. That led to CofC’s Aniz Roman, who led off the inning with a single, to score while Dominguez took advantage of the Elon miscue by also rounding the bases on the play to put the Cougars ahead 2-0.
Elon was held to one hit and one runner reaching scoring position over the next three innings before finally responding with a five-spot in the top of the fifth. Megan Grant and Carley Davis moved into scoring position for the Phoenix on a walk and a double, respectively, to open the frame, before Mekayla Frazier drove in Grant on a one-out single to left field. The Phoenix tied the game on the next at bat on a CofC error with Gabi Schaal driving in the tying run and reaching on the play to load the bases. The Cougars recorded the second out on the next at bat, but Repko cleared the base on her two-out double to center, giving the Phoenix the 5-2 lead.
The Phoenix added some insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Another Cougars’ error with one out, led Elon to plate its sixth run of the contest with Schaal moving to second on the play. Charleston made a pitching change which induced the second out of the inning on the next at bat, but Repko was able to work a full count before adding her fourth homerun of the season with the two-run dinger giving the Phoenix an 8-2 advantage.
CofC got a run back in its home half of the seventh, but it was not enough as the Phoenix hung on to earn the 8-3 game one victory.
Repko was 3-for-4 with five RBI and was a triple shy of the cycle against the Cougars. Frazier also had a multi-hit day for Elon, going 2-for-4 with an RBI as well.
Kenna Quinn earned the complete-game win, moving to 7-8 on the season. Pitching in her home state, the Boiling Spring, S.C., native allowed nine hits and three runs, two earned, while striking out five.
Game Two: Elon 9, College of Charleston 1 (6)
Game Two Box
Repko continued her momentum at the plate in the second game. The Broadway, Va., native took a 2-0 pitch over the center field wall for her fifth home run of the season, with the three-run blast driving in Frazier and Rebecca Murray, who both reached on singles with one out. That gave the maroon and gold a 3-0 lead after the first.
Elon increased its lead to 7-0 in the top of the fourth. A pair of hit-by-pitches received by Repko and Grant and a Davis single loaded the bases for the maroon and gold with one out. The Cougars induced the second out on a fly out to left, but could not escape the inning unharmed as Allie Eith cleared the bases on a grand slam for the Phoenix. Eith’s first homer of the season gave the maroon and gold some cushion going into Charleston’s home half of the frame.
CofC responded to get a run back in the bottom of the fourth. The Cougars opened the inning on a single with the runner advancing to third on a grounder and a single. Elon forced the second out on a popup to second, but a single back to the pitcher by Kayla Gutierrez broke the shutout for College of Charleston to make the score 7-1.
That deficit would expand however as the Phoenix added two more runs in the top of the sixth. Grant and Drew Menscer both reached on singles to open the inning with the Phoenix having both runners move into scoring position as Bella Devesa came to the plate. Devesa laid down a bunt single, scoring pinch runner Raelyn McGarry while a throwing error by the pitcher allowed Mencer to also score to give Elon an eight-run lead, 9-1.
Elon retired the side in order in the bottom of the sixth, taking the doubleheader sweep and the series with the 9-1 win via run rule.
The Phoenix had eight hits in the game, with eight different players each tallying a hit. Eith led the Phoenix with her four RBI with Repko adding three.
Alexa Nemeth took the win in the circle for the Phoenix, moving to 4-3 on the season. The graduate student pitched 5.0 frames and gave up seven hits and one run. Kaitlin King also tossed 1.0 hitless inning Elon.
On Deck
The series finale between the Phoenix and Cougars is scheduled for a 12 p.m. opening pitch tomorrow, April 11.