ELON, NC – Elon used the fifth inning to pull away from the North Carolina A&T Aggies for the second straight afternoon at Hunt Softball Park.
The Phoenix used a four-run fifth to defeat the Aggies 5-2 on Saturday in the second game of a three-game Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) series. What happened on Saturday can be said about what happened on Friday when the Phoenix scored four runs in the fifth to defeat the Aggies 5-2. As a result of A&T's two 5-2 losses, they dropped to 11-14 overall and 0-2 in CAA play. Meanwhile, the Phoenix got a complete-game performance from Lia Miller (W, 2-2) in the circle to improve to 6-15 overall and 2-0 in league play.
A&T junior starter Aaliyah Williams (L, 4-3) and Miller had an excellent pitcher's duel going over the game's first four innings. A&T broke through first against Miller in the visitors' second with an unearned run.
A&T senior outfield Katriel Williams beat out an infield single with two outs. The Aggies took advantage of the clutch hitting as freshman Taniyah Thomas reached on a base hit and moved to third on a throwing error. The throwing miscue allowed Katriel Williams to score, giving the Aggies a 1-0 lead. Elon answered in the home third as Payton Fitzpatrick led off with a single to right field.
Reili Gardner walked, and Lani Wyrick moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Greta Hessenthaler tied the game 1-1 with an RBI sac fly to left field, scoring Fitzpatrick. The Aggies got out of the inning on a pop-up by Mauri Murray. Junior Bria Finley gave the Aggies the lead back with a leadoff homer in the fourth inning. It marked Finley's third home run of the season. She did not have a home run over her first two years at Howard University.
Aaliyah Williams had a smooth fourth inning before the Phoenix put together another strong fifth inning during the series.
Mary Moss Wirt and Allie Dawson led off the frame with singles. A throwing error allowed Gardner to reach, as Dawson advanced to third, and Wirt scored to tie the game at 2. Wyrick's RBI sac fly scored Dawson to give the Phoenix the lead. A&T replaced Aaliyah Williams in the circle with sophomore Lauren Hardy after Aaliyah Williams walked Hessenthaler on four pitches.
Aaliyah Wiliams pitched 4.1 innings. She gave up five runs, two of them unearned, while giving up four hits, walking two and striking out three. Hardy earned the second out of the inning by getting Murray to hit into a fielder's choice. Pinch runner Brooke Camacho reached second on a wild pitch before Chloe Hatzopoulos reached on an error that allowed Gardner and Camacho to score for a 5-2 advantage.
Unfortunately, the Aggies could not get anything going against Miller in the sixth and seventh innings. Miller gave up two runs (one earned) on six hits while walking one and striking out two. Katriel Williams, who saw her seven-game hitting streak come to an end on Friday, went 2-for-3 with a run scored on Saturday. The series finale is Sunday at noon from Hunt Softball Park.
