ELON, N.C. – A three-run fifth inning by Elon helped the Phoenix down the North Carolina A&T Aggies 3-2 in non-conference softball action at Hunt Softball Park on Wednesday.
The three-run fifth helped the Phoenix (18-17) overcome a 2-0 Aggies lead. Before the fifth, junior pitcher Kayla Douglas was in command inside the circle. She had pitched four scoreless innings, giving up just one hit on very few pitches.
But Elon opened the fifth with a single from Chloe Hatzopoulos. Keagan Goldwait then walked on eight pitches before Drew Menscer hit a bloop single to left to load the bases for Rebecca Murray.
Murray then hit a sharp groundball to freshman third baseman Dezianna Patmon who quickly fired home to force out the lead runner, Hatzopoulos trying to go home to preserve the Aggies shutout. But the Phoenix would not remain scoreless for long.
Megan Grant hit a base-clearing three-run RBI double to the left-center field to give the Phoenix a 3-2 lead. Douglas retired the next two batters to avoid any more damage.
A&T left one on in the sixth before its big comeback attempt in the visitor's seventh. Freshman Mariah Headen reached on a two-out infield single, followed by a single from sophomore Kendall Macauley. Elon then turned the freshman Taylor Cherry in the circle to replace Alexa Nemeth.
Cherry got graduate Jazzmaine Hammond to fly out to right to end the game as the Aggies dropped to 12-22 on the season. Douglas (0-2) took the tough-luck loss. Nemeth (3-2) got the win, and Cherry recorded the save.
Macauley went 2-for-4, and sophomore Alyxx Estrada had an extra base hit.
The Aggies opened the game's scoring by methodically moving Hammond around the bases in the first. She first earned a one-out walk before stealing second and third to set up Patmon's RBI sacrifice fly to right to score Hammond for a 1-0 Aggies lead.
Freshman Icess Tresvik earned a two-out walk and reached second on a stolen base before the visitor's first ended with freshman Jailyn Tineo striking out.
That did not deter the Aggies, however.
Estrada opened the second with a double and moved to third on a fly out by sophomore Kayla Taylor. Senior Jocelyn Bennett then hit a groundball to Goldwait at first. Goldwait misfired on the throw, allowing Bennett to reach and Estrada to score for a 2-0 Aggies lead.
A&T kept Elon off the board in the second, third and fourth despite the Phoenix getting at least one runner on each one of those three innings before the fifth-inning rally.
