ELON, N.C. – Elon wrapped up a three-game sweep of visiting UNCG with a 7-0 Southern Conference win on Sunday at East Field.
UNCG finished the regular season with a 24-30 overall mark and a 10-14 record in SoCon play. The Spartans now await the results of the Furman-Appalachian State series to learn whether they are the sixth or seventh seed for the upcoming SoCon Championship.
Elon senior Lauren Taylor pitched a four-hitter to pick up the win on the Phoenix's Senior Day.
The Phoenix (29-22, 12-12 SoCon) got the only runs it would need in the bottom of the first inning, pounding out three hits to take an early 2-0 lead. Leadoff hitter Carleigh Nester got things going with a double to the gap in right center, and Caitlin McGowan followed with a sharp single to center field. After a Tomeka Watson groundout, Emerald Graham smoked a double to the fence in right center to score Nester and McGowan with the first runs of the game.
Elon added two more runs in the second on McGowan's sacrifice fly to right, while Jackie Gonzalez was able to score from second on the sac fly and a UNCG error on the play.
The Phoenix made it 6-0 with two runs in the third, with Kaitlyn Piazzolla scoring on a wild pitch and Hannah Shelton coming in on a UNCG error with two outs. Elon added another run on a wild pitch in the fourth to make it 7-0.
UNCG had multiple base-runners in an inning just once, when April Langley and Alex Emeterio drew walks one out apart in the third. Taylor got a fielder's choice to escape unharmed.
Emeterio had one of UNCG's four hits on the afternoon, a single up the middle with two outs in the first. Katelyn Bedwell hit a one-out single in the fourth, but Taylor got the Spartans' next batter to ground into a double play to end the threat.
Katie Stripling drew a two-out pinch-hit walk in the fifth and Kaitlin Merkt had a two-out single in the sixth, but UNCG couldn't capitalize either time.
Heather Robb tried to get a UNCG rally going with a single up the middle in the top of the seventh, but Taylor got another double play to end the game.
Nester finished 3-for-3 to lead Elon at the plate, while Watson and Piazzolla had two hits each. Emeterio and Merkt were both 1-for-2 with a walk for UNCG.
Taylor (13-9) allowed just four hits and four walks to pick up the shutout win. Josie Felix (5-14) was tagged with the loss for UNCG, allowing three runs on four hits in one-plus innings of work. Raeanne Hanks worked five innings for the Spartans, allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits and four walks.
UNCG returns to action at the SoCon Championship in Statesboro, Ga., on Wednesday.
AGATE
Elon 7, UNCG 0 (May 08, 2011 at Elon, N.C.)
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UNCG................ 000 000 0 - 0 4 3 (24-30, 10-14 SoCon)
Elon................ 222 100 X - 7 10 1 (29-22, 12-12 SoCon)
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Pitchers: UNCG - Josie Felix; Raeanne Hanks(2). Elon - Lauren Taylor.
Win-Lauren Taylor(13-9) Loss-Josie Felix(5-14) T-1:59 A-143
Weather: 61 degrees, cloudy
Felix faced 1 batter in the 2nd.
- UNCG -
