Tigers Top-Ranked Offense Leads Towson to 7-5 Victory Over Elon in Game Three of CAA Softball Championship
Hunter Peters
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL | BOX SCORE | HIGHLIGHTS | PHOTO GALLERY
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (May 10, 2023) – The top-ranked offense in the conference propelled fifth-seeded Towson to a 7-5 victory over fourth-seeded Elon in game three of the CAA Softball Championship on Wednesday afternoon at Bill Edwards Stadium.
Towson (28-23), who won its first CAA Tournament game since 2016 yesterday, has now won two games in two days and advances to face either Top-seeded Delaware or second-seeded UNCW tomorrow. Elon (22-25) will turn around and face the loser of game four between third-seed Hofstra and seventh-seeded Stony Brook in an elimination game at approximately 5 p.m. this evening.
The Tigers scored five runs over the final two innings and Maddie Gardner (15-7) battled in the circle, recording a career-high 158 pitches en route to her second complete-game effort in two days. Six Tigers recorded a hit in the game, led by Isabella Canesi, who recorded her first career home run with a three-run shot in the top of the seventh to secure the victory.
Both pitchers worked around lead-off singles in the first. Briana Ramirez opened the game with an eight-pitch at-bat before singling up the middle but was stranded at second. In the bottom half, Drew Menscer led off the inning with a single after a 10-pitch at-bat, but she too, was left at second.
Towson plated two in the next half-inning to open the scoring. Addie Ferguson drew a lead-off walk before scoring on an RBI double from Cara Bohner during the next at-bat. Bohner advanced to third on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly from the next batter, Kristin Toland.
After a three-up, three-down inning for Isley Duggins, who entered in relief of McKenna McCard, Elon scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game. Bella Devesa bunted for a base hit to lead off the inning but remained at first following back-to-back outs. With two outs, Menscer singled, and Megan Grant drew her league-leading 31st walk this season to load the bases. Clutch hitting from Allee Seering scored Devsa and Menscer, finding grass between the second baseman and right fielder.
Towson answered right back with a two-run inning in the top of the sixth to regain its advantage. After the lead-off batter was retired, four straight Tigers reached safely. Bohner and Toland drew back-to-back walks before Ally Hickman singled to load the bases. Sydni Byers drew a pinch-hit walk to score Bohner, and Ramirez recorded a sacrifice fly to score Toland, giving the Tigers a 4-2 lead.
Carley Davis led off the next half-inning with a double and advanced to third on a wild pitch. However, the next two Phoenix batters were retired, leaving Elon in jeopardy of coming up scoreless. Chloe Hatzopoulos made sure that wasn’t the case, beating out an infield single to score Davis and pull the Phoenix within one.
Canesi, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in the bottom of the sixth, made an impact at the plate in the top of the seventh. She launched a three-run homer to extend the Towson lead to 7-3. Mackenzie Lake reached on an error to lead off the inning before Madyson Peters singled to put two on, and out later, Canesi took the 1-1 pitch high and deep over the left field wall.
The insurance runs proved crucial as Elon would tack on two in the bottom half of the inning before Gardner closed out the contest. Grant drew her second walk of the game to lead off the inning, and one out later, Claudia Penny sent a two-run shot to dead center for her 40th and 41st RBIs this season, which tie her for the league-league.
Davis, Menscer and Seering recorded multi-hit efforts for the Phoenix as Davis and Seering extended their respective hitting streaks to five and nine games.
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