ELON, NC – The Elon Phoenix broke open a close game on Friday against North Carolina A&T in both teams' Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) softball opener at Hunt Softball Park to defeat the Aggies 5-2.
Reigning CAA Pitcher of the Week Devin Long (L, 3-4) had an outstanding outing without the desired results. Long pitched 4.2 innings, giving up only one earned run while walking seven and striking out one. She ran into trouble in the home half of the fifth inning with the game tied 1-1.
Elon's Chloe Hatzopoulos hit a single to center field with one out to start the rally, followed by a single to right center by pinch-hitter Jenna Klein. But on the play, Hatzopoulos got caught in a rundown for the second out in the inning. But also on the play, A&T junior right fielder Bria Finley made an error on the play, allowing Klein to reach second base.
Mary Moss Wirt produced Elon's third straight single, which resulted in pinch runner Payton Swart scoring from second to give the Phoenix a 2-1 lead. After Swart scored, Long walked Peyton Fitzpatrick on nine pitches to put runners at first and second. Elon used another pinch-hitter to do damage as Christina Piotrowski doubled to center field to score two more runs.
Lani Wyrick closed out the scoring with an RBI single, scoring pinch runner Reili Gardner to give the Phoenix a 5-1 advantage before sophomore Lauren Hardy replaced Long in the circle. Hardy got Greta Hessenthaler to fly out to end the inning. A&T tried to mount a comeback in the visitors' sixth inning.
Sophomore Jaden James walked on four pitches and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Shandi Brown. One batter later, sophomore Aniya Merritt brought James home on an RBI single up the middle to cut Elon's lead to three before a strikeout ended the inning. Hardy retired the Phoenix in order to send A&T into the seventh trailing by three. But Elon starter Anna Dew (W, 4-3) retired the Aggies in order in the seventh to end the game. Dew pitched a complete game, striking out 10.
Elon got on the board first on Friday with an RBI single from Hatzopoulos in the bottom of the first. Finley evened the score in the fourth inning when Finley doubled to right center to score Merritt before Elon's rally in the fifth inning.
Merritt, who leads A&T in batting, went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Wyrick and Hatzopoulos had two hits apiece for the Phoenix. The two teams will play the second game of the three-game CAA opening series on Saturday at Hunt Softball Park. The first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
