East Carolina University
Elon
East Carolina Drops 10-4 Decision at Elon
March 18, 2015 | Softball
ELON, N.C. - The East Carolina softball team scored early, but left eight runners on base as the Pirates fell to Elon by a score of 10-4 at Hunt Softball Park on Wednesday night. With the loss, ECU drops to 8-20 on the season, while the Phoenix improve to 17-6.
The Pirates got on the board in the first inning thanks to a double by Kacie Oshiro who came around to score on an RBI-single by Abby Wynne. ECU was unable to keep the lead as Elon plated two runs in the bottom of the frame to take a 2-1 advantage.
Senior right-handed pitcher Sarah Christian kept the Phoenix off the scoreboard in the second which allowed the Pirates a chance to regain the lead.
In the top of the third, East Carolina led off the inning with a solo home run off the bat of freshman Mary-Sloan Bradford to tie the game, 2-2. The ECU offense added two more runs after Wynne and Casey Alcorn hit back-to-back base hits and came in on an Elon throwing error.
Elon plated a run in the bottom of the third on a solo home run by Kara Shutt, but Christian managed to get out of the inning without surrendering another run.
The Pirates held a 4-3 lead on the Phoenix until the fifth inning when Hannah Olson reached on a single and moved around the bases on a pair of ECU errors before scoring the tying run on a single through the right side off of freshman righty Ashley Cruise (2-10) who came on in relief of Christian.
Christian finished the game pitching 4.0 innings of work, while allowing three runs, all earned, on five hits in the no decision. She struck out three and walked one.
Cruise suffered the loss after hitting a rough patch in the sixth inning in which she gave up a lead-off home run to Carey Million to put Elon ahead, 5-4. Following the homer, she hit the next two batters before exiting the game and making way for senior right-handed pitcher Caroline Umphlett who gave up three hits, including a home run to Emily Roper as the Phoenix jumped out in front, 10-4, and never looked back.
Kiandra Mitchum earned the start for Elon and was credited with a no decision after pitching 3.0 innings of work and allowing four runs, two of which were earned, on six hits, while striking out two and walking one. Caitlin O'Shea (1-1) collected her first victory of the year for the Phoenix after pitching 3.0 innings in relief without allowing a run and giving up two hits.
Alcorn was solid at the plate for the Pirates as she finished the game going 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Wynne went 2-for-4 with one RBI, while scoring one. Oshiro turned in another stout performance going 2-for-3 with a run scored and a base on balls. Freshman third baseman Karlie Smith tallied her first multi-hit game of her collegiate career after going 2-for-4.
East Carolina returns to Greenville, N.C., and ECU Softball Stadium marking its first home contest since February 22. The Pirates play host to No. 20 UCF in the American Athletic Conference opener Saturday, March 21 in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. The three-game series concludes Sunday, March 22 at 11 a.m. Live stats and video will be available on ECUPirates.com.
