Elon 7, Eastern Kentucky 1
Eastern Kentucky 3, Elon 2
ELON, N.C. - Elon split a doubleheader against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels on Wednesday afternoon to move to 11-4 on the season. Elon won the first game 7-1 before falling 3-2 in the second game at East Field. EKU is now 4-13.
Emerald Graham went 4-for-6 with two RBI and three runs over the two games. Caitlin McGowan drove in a team-best four runs on 2-of-4 hitting.
Game 1 - Elon 7, Eastern Kentucky 1
The Colonels looked to strike first, loading the bags on a base hit and a pair of walks in the top of the first inning. With two outs, Tomeka Watson robbed Larkyn Wood of a RBI with a running grab in right center field.
Jackie Gonzalez opened the bottom half of the first with an infield single. With two runners aboard, Graham used a single to score Gonzalez and give Elon a 1-0 lead. With two outs and the bases loaded, McGowan took a 0-2 pitch to shallow centerfield that scored Graham and Kaitlyn Piazzolla and put Elon up 3-0. Erin O'Shea scored Elon's fourth and final run of the inning on a RBI-single off the bat of Pam DelPizzo.
DeAnn Horswill walked to start the second inning. With one away, Diane Gallagher hit a sacrifice fly that plated Horswill for the first EKU run.
Leading 4-1, Elon added three runs of insurance in the bottom of the second inning. Four straight singles by Gonzalez, Danielle Lafferty, Tomeka Watson and Graham allowed the Phoenix to go up 5-1. Elon scored its sixth run of the game after Piazzolla was hit by a pitch that drove in Watson. A sacrifice fly by McGowan drove in Graham that resulted in the final score of 7-1.
The Colonels had a chance to chip away at the Elon lead in the top of the fourth inning after loading the bases on three hits. The Phoenix turned a double play and got the final batter to pop up to second base to end the threat.
Elon's O'Shea improved to 5-1 on the season, allowing just one run on one hit in three innings of work. Lauren Taylor picked up the save for Elon, scattering just three hits in four innings of relief.
Mea Flores of EKU suffered the loss, falling to 1-4, giving up seven run on seven hits and one walk in one inning in the circle. Stacye Toups allowed four hits in five innings of work.
Game Two - Eastern Kentucky 3, Elon 2
A trio of hits by Raquel Howes, Wood and Noe Esperas loaded the bases in the top of the second inning. With one away, Howes scored on a sacrifice fly by Nikki Bruce.
EKU tacked on a run in the top of the third inning that made it a 2-0 game. Christina Datko greeted the inning with a single up the middle and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Howes singled to shallow center that allowed Datko to score.
The Colonels took a 3-0 advantage in the top of sixth on a solo home run off the bat of Howes.
After retiring seven straight batters, EKU hurler Kristin Perry issued a walk to Danielle Lafferty in the bottom of the fourth, giving Elon its second base runner of the game. Graham worked the count full before reaching first on an infield single. Elon loaded the bases on a walk to McGowan and looked poised to strike, but the final batter fouled out to end the inning.
Elon's Watson laid down a perfect bunt to open the bottom of the sixth but was caught stealing second for Elon's first out of the inning. Perry gave up back-to-back walks to Lafferty and Graham. With the tying run at the plate, EKU made a pitching change, sending Toups into the circle. With two outs, McGowan laced a RBI-single to through the left side that scored Graham from second and cut the lead to 3-1. During the play, Piazzolla was tagged out after rounding second to end the inning.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, DelPizzo took a 1-0 pitch to shallow center field. With two away, Gonzalez singled down the left field line that put runners at first and second. The Phoenix made it a one-run game at 3-2 after Watson singled to right center. Elon was unable to plate the tying run as the final batter grounded out to second.
Perry improved to 3-3 on the season, allowing just three hits and registering six strikeouts. Toups threw one and two-third innings allowing one run on four hits.
DelPizzo suffered the loss, falling to 2-2 on the season. She threw a complete game, surrendering three runs on eight hits and two walks. She also struck out four batters.
Elon begins Southern Conference play this weekend when it travels to Cullowhee, N.C., to take on Western Carolina in a three-game series. The first game of Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
Georgia Southern 8, Charleston Southern 0
Charleston Southern 6, Georgia Southern 3
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Georgia Southern (11-8) split a doubleheader with Charleston Southern with an 8-0 win in Game 1 and dropped the second 6-3. Georgia Southern was paced offensively by Lowes Senior CLASS Award nominee Nina Iduate (Norcross, Ga.). She went 6 for 7 with two runs scored.
In game one, Georgia Southern opened the game with an Iduate bunt single to third base. Kelly Burnett (Boynton Beach, Fla.) followed with a single that advanced Iduate to third base. Burnett then stole second base. Megen Smith (Rincon, Ga.) singled to left field to bring in Iduate.
In the fourth inning, the Eagles broke the game open. Andrea Tarashuk (Flemington, NJ) reached on an error by Bucs shortstop Megan Lombard. Sara Hinchman's (Douglasville, Ga.) grounder got by second baseman Trea Steele allowing Hinchman to reach third and bring Bethany Crenshaw (Warner Robins, Ga.), who was pinch running for Tarashuk, in to score. Hanna Ennis (Snellville, Ga.) singled up the middle to bring Hinchman in. With one out in the inning, Iduate's bunt single advanced Kaitlynn Szczepanski (Chesapeake, Va.) to second. Burnett sacrificed both runners into scoring position. A wild pitch by Bucs pitcher Sondra Vetter, brought Szczepanski in to score. Smith's double off the top of the wall brought Iduate in to give the Eagles a 5-0 lead after four innings.
In the fifth inning, the Eagles continued their offensive explosion. Hinchman reached on a single to the shortstop. Ennis then doubled to bring Hinchman in from first. Ennis would advance to third on a passed ball. Szczepanski then drove Ennis in with a single up the middle. Iduate singled through the left side. Burnett's single to right field brought Szczepanski home to give the Eagles an 8-0 win over Charleston Southern.
Southern Conference's Preseason Pitcher of the Year Brianna Streetmon (6-3) continued her domination of opposing batters, by allowing only two hits while giving up no runs and striking out nine Buccaneer batters. Her performance lowered her ERA to 1.85 on the season and pushed her strikeouts to 58, a team high. She also leads the team in innings pitched (63.1), shutouts (2) and complete games (7). Opposing batters have a .181 batting average against her this season.
Georgia Southern was unable to find the same offensive magic in Game Two. Down 3-0 in the top of the fourth, the Eagles were able to rally. Smith doubled to left center. Jenny Side (Loganville, Ga.) hit a monster blast over the center field wall to bring the Eagles within one run. Her home run was her first of the season. Tarashuk continued the rally with a single. Ennis' sacrifice bunt to third base advanced Caitlin Hart (McDonough, Ga.) to second base. A passed ball moved Hart over to third. Tabby Douberley's (Clyo, Ga.) groundout to second brought Hart in to tie the game. However, a Buccaneer three- run home run in the bottom of the fifth would be too much for the Eagles, as they fell to the Bucs 6-3.
The Eagles long road trip continues this weekend as they open Southern Conference action against the University of North Carolina- Greensboro. The Eagles will play the Spartans in a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. before wrapping up the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.