Walk-Off Homer Takes Phoenix Softball Past Lady Lions

ATLANTA – A walk-off home run by Erin O’Shea in the bottom of the eighth put the Elon softball team past Southeastern Louisiana, 7-5, today, March 3, in the Buzz Classic. The Phoenix is on a five-game winning streak and is now 10-2 on the season, while the Lady Lions fall to 3-14.

Karen Berna (2-0) earned the win for Elon after pitching 3.2 innings and giving up one run off three hits. The loss went to Kenna Terry (1-7), who gave up three runs in 2.2 innings.

Danielle Lafferty went 2-for-3 at the plate, while E. O’Shea’s one hit recorded her three RBI. Tomeka Watson scored three of Elon’s runs in the game with Camille Hill scoring another two.

Elon put one run on the board in the bottom of the first off a sacrifice fly by Carleigh Nester. With one out, Watson drew a walk, stole second and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Nester pushed Watson across the plate with the sacrifice to left field to put the Phoenix up 1-0.

The Lady Lions evened the score in the top of the third with a home run to right field by Meghan Gomez. With runners on first and second and one out, E. O’Shea replaced Elon starter Kari Pervell in the circle. E. O’Shea then got the Phoenix out of the inning by getting the runner out at second and the final batter to fly out to left field.

Southeastern jumped ahead, 4-1, in the fourth with three runs off four hits. A double to right field by Megan McCollum scored Katie Doyle from second, a pinch runner for Katie Matthews who was walked to start the inning. With one out and one on, Gomez hit another home run, this time to left field, to add two more runs to the board.

The Phoenix answered in the bottom of the inning, adding three more runs to tie the game. Sarah Little reached on an error by the Lady Lions’ second baseman and then Grace Eng, a pinch runner for Little, advanced to third on a double down the right field line by Lauren Oldham. Kati Morse then replaced Honeycutt at pitcher with two runners on and only one out. Eng scored and Oldham advanced to third after an illegal pitch by Morse that put Hill on base. Oldham was caught stealing home to record the second out but Hill reached second and then advanced again after another illegal pitch. With a full count and two outs, Watson hit a homer to right field for two runs that tied the game at four-all.

In extra innings, Trish Bliss was placed on second for Southeastern to start the eighth. She scored on an error by Phoenix third baseman Aly Quintana that gave the Lady Lions the slight 5-4 edge.

Hill was placed on second to start the bottom of the eighth, while Watson reached on an error. After Nester popped up on a bunt, E. O’Shea sent the ball over the fence in centerfield for a three-run walk-off home run that ended the game in favor of the Phoenix, 7-5.

Elon is scheduled to play Rhode Island at 10 a.m. tomorrow, March 4, and then Georgia Tech at noon in Woodstock, Ga.