ELON, N.C. – The Sacred Heart University softball team split its two games on Saturday, Mar. 1, defeating Elon in the opener before falling to a strong UNC Greensboro team in the nightcap in Elon, N.C. The Pioneers defeated the Phoenix by a 4-1 final score and fell 6-2 to the Spartans.
Team Records
Sacred Heart (3-3)
Elon (5-9)
UNC Greensboro (12-3)
Game 1: SHU 4, Elon 1
Pitchers:
Sam Kowalski (SHU) - (W, 7.0 innings pitched, 1 earned runs, 8 strikeouts, 2-1 record)
Taylor Cherry (Elon) - (L, 7.0 innings pitched, 3 earned runs, 4 strikeouts, 0-3 record)
SHU Top Performers:
Savannah Moore – 2-3, 2 RBIs, 1 run, 1 home run
Nicole Henke – 2-3, 1 RBI, 1 run, 1 home run
Of Note:
The start of this afternoon's game was a pitching battle, as the two teams combined for three hits over the opening 3.5 innings.
Sam Kowalski was cruising to start the contest, racking up three strikeouts by the fourth.
Elon broke the scoreless in the bottom of the fourth, benefiting from a leadoff triple to take a 1-0 advantage.
The Pioneers broke onto the scoreboard in the top of the fifth on a long ball from
Savannah Moore. With two outs and one on, the sophomore turned on the first pitch of the at-bat and sent it whizzing by the left field foul pole to give SHU a 2-1 advantage. Moore's homer is the first of her young career.
SHU added an insurance run in the sixth with another homer. Leading off the frame,
Nicole Henke sent a ball to left that bounced off the top of the wall for her first home run as a junior.
Leading 3-1, Sacred Heart got into a jam in the home half of the sixth. Elon loaded the bases with one out with a pair of singles and a walk. Kowalski kept her composure, striking out the next batter before ending the inning with a groundout to Henke.
Sacred Heart added another insurance run in the top of the seventh. Following a leadoff single and an error,
Kaelyn Freed drove
Natalie Aiello home with a one-out single to right field to make it a 4-1 game.
Kowalski swung the door shut in the seventh to pick up her second win of the season. The standout junior struck out a season-high eight batters.
Game 2: UNCG 6, SHU 2
Pitchers:
Emily Heath (SHU) - (L, 4.1 innings pitched, 4 earned runs, 1 strikeout, 0-2 record)
Carah Sweet (SHU) - (2.2 innings pitched, 2 earned runs)
Reese Byrd (UNCG) - (W, 4.1 innings pitched, 1 earned run, 3 strikeouts, 4-2 record)
Salem Ward (UNCG) - (S, 2.2 innings pitched, 0 earned runs, 4 strikeouts, 1 save)
Top Performers:
Cierra Bender – 3-4, 1 run
Elle Leckrone – 3-4
Of Note:
Following a scoreless first for the Spartans, the Pioneers took the early lead home half of the frame. The Pios opened the inning with three straight walks, with Moore bringing in the first run on an RBI groundout.
Cierra Bender scored from third on the play.
The Spartans answered in the second to tie the game at 1-1. UNCG strung together a single and a double in back-to-back at-bats to score its first run.
Following a scoreless third inning, SHU retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth, 2-1. With two on and two out,
Elle Leckrone smacked an infield single to short, which led to a throwing error that plated
Morgan Teodosio.
Unfortunately for the Pios, UNCG answered again, scoring three in the top of the fifth to take a 4-2 advantage.
The Pioneers put two runners on in both the fifth and sixth innings but could not bring any runs in. On the other hand, the Spartans added two runs in the seventh to secure a 6-2 victory.
Emily Heath started the game in the circle for SHU, allowing four earned over 4.1 innings before ceding way to
Carah Sweet to finish the game. Sweet threw the final 2.2 and gave up two earned.
Bender and Leckrone both led SHU at the plate with three hits, going 3-for-4.
Up Next
Sacred Heart plays Elon and UNC Greensboro again tomorrow, this time in Greensboro, N.C. SHU battles the Phoenix first 11 a.m. and the Spartans at 1:30 p.m.
