Elon Falls to South Carolina; To Face Virginia in Elimination Game on Saturday
Dylan Smith
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Elon softball team battled to a 5-2 setback against South Carolina inside the Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field. The Phoenix will take on Virginia in an elimination game on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
The top three batters –
Greta Hessenthaler,
Allee Seering and
Kaitlyn Wells – went a combined 6-for-10 at the dish with two RBIs and a run scored.
Elon jumped out to a 1-0 lead after the first three batters unloaded three straight singles to start the game, seeing Wells drive in Hessenthaler. South Carolina quickly responded with a three-spot in the home half of the first inning.
The Phoenix tacked on another run in the top of the second inning after a leadoff walk to
Mary Moss Wirt. Three batters later, Hessenthaler unloaded on a 2-2 offering and laced an RBI double to right-center, pulling Elon to within one, 3-2. The Gamecocks extended their lead to three, 5-2, in the bottom of the third frame.
Meredith Wells came on in relief in the fourth and worked herself into a bases-loaded jam. The fifth-year hurler halted the Gamecocks’ threat by forcing a flyout to center.
South Carolina’s Jori Heard dominated in relief with 5.1 innings of work, surrendering just one hit and striking out six.
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