Softball Takes Two at Elon Phoenix Tournament

ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team earned a couple of victories on its first day at its home tournament, the Elon Phoenix Tournament, on Friday afternoon, March 10. The Phoenix defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 8-1 in its first contest of the day behind a career-best 11 strikeouts from Kiandra Mitchum before closing the day with a 7-5 win over Norfolk State.

Box Score (FDU) | Box Score (NSU)

Elon (12-8) improved to 12-3 at home this season and remained unblemished all-time versus Fairleigh Dickinson (1-11) and Norfolk State (6-6). The two wins also improved Elon to 892 victories all-time as a program.

Mitchum had a big day in the circle for the maroon and gold, earning the game one win over the Knights with her new personal-best 11 fanned batters. She then later received the save in relief in the game two victory over the Spartans and had a 0.95 ERA in 7.1 innings pitched between the two games.

In the batter’s box, Elon hit .353 on the day between the two contests. Carey Million was 2-for-2 with four RBI in both games while Kristin Hoover also stood out going 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI.

Game One: Elon 8, Fairleigh Dickinson 1
The Rundown: A four-run bottom of the first helped the Phoenix to a good start versus FDU in its first game of the day. After loading the bases with no outs on a Kara Shutt walk, Million’s two-RBI single into shallow center plated the first two runs of the contest. Another RBI on a foul out to first by Erica Serafini made the score 3-0 before Million herself crossed home plate after advancing on an Emily Roper steal to put Elon ahead 4-0.

The Phoenix added another run in the home half of the third. Shutt led off with a triple down the right field line and scored again thanks to Million’s RBI single to shallow center. The Knights went with a pitching change which slowed down the Phoenix’s momentum, but not before Elon left the frame with a 5-0 advantage.

Fairleigh Dickinson got a run back in the top of the fourth to pull itself within four, 5-1, but the Phoenix answered with a three-spot in the bottom of the sixth. With the bases juiced and one out, Alaina Hall received a free pass to score the sixth run of the contest for Elon. Shutt followed with an RBI single to right field before Million added her fourth RBI of the game to give the Phoenix an 8-1 lead.

That would be more than enough support for Mitchum in the circle. The junior struck out the side in the top of the seventh to secure the victory for Elon.

At the Plate: Elon had seven hits in the contest and left six runners on base…Million went 2-for-2 with four RBI to increase her team-lead to 17 RBI on the year…Shutt was 2-for-3 with an RBI, a triple and a pair of runs scored.

In the Circle: Mitchum (5-4) became the first Elon pitcher since Erin O’Shea in 2011 to have double-digit strikeouts in a game…The Mechanicsville, Va., native pitched a complete game and allowed four hits and walked one batter…She also bested her previous career-best of nine strikeouts that she set last season versus College of Charleston at the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament.

Game Two: Elon 7, Norfolk State 5
The Rundown: Much like in its first game, Elon started the contest quickly with a strong bottom of the first inning. Shutt’s RBI single up the middle scored Hannah Olson, who reached earlier on a throwing error, for the first run of the game. Hoover’s one-out single to right field added a couple more runs across home plate to make it 3-0 in favor of the Phoenix.

Norfolk State pulled within one with a two-run top of the third. A bases loaded walk and a RBI on a fielder’s choice helped the Spartans trim the Phoenix’s lead to one, 3-2.

Elon answered in the home half of the third to push its lead back up to three. Hoover doubled to left field with one out and scored on a double by Erica Serafini on the next at bat. A sacrifice fly to right field by Emily Roper brought in Serafini to make it 5-2.

The Spartans did not go away quietly, responding with a two-run top of the fifth. Hunter Halford blasted a two-run home run into center field to bring Norfolk State back within one, 5-4, with only one out in the frame. After the Phoenix went with a pitching change, the Spartans loaded the bases with two outs, but Elon escaped the jam on a fielder’s choice.

That would be as close as the Spartans would get as Elon tacked on some very important insurance runs in both the bottom of the fifth and sixth frames. Hoover added her first home run of the year on a solo shot to left field to put the Phoenix ahead 6-4 in the bottom of the fifth. In the sixth, Hall’s sacrifice fly to left field plated another run to put the maroon and gold ahead 7-4.

Norfolk State fought to add another run in the top of the seventh. Halford led off with a double to left center and scored on a two-out RBI up the middle by Julianne Gallo to make the score 7-5. Mitchum came on in relief with the tying run at the plate and induced the final out on a fly out to Olson to end the game.

At the Plate: Hoover was a perfect 3-for-3 in the contest and was a triple away from the cycle…The Tampa, Fla., native added her fifth double of the season and had three RBI…Shutt and Walker Barbee also had multi-hit performances with Barbee going 2-for-3 and Shutt 2-for-4.

In the Circle: Kenna Quinn (5-3) earned the win in the circle after pitching 4.1 innings and gave up eight hits and four runs with four strikeouts…Hailey Jomp pitched 2.1 innings in relief while Mitchum earned her second save of the season.

On Deck
The Phoenix begins the second day of the tournament tomorrow, March 11, with its first game of the day versus Presbyterian at 2:30 p.m. followed by a rematch against the Spartans after that game.