ROCK HILL, SC— The Winthrop softball team dropped a double-header to Elon in its final games at home and of the regular season, Saturday afternoon at Terry Field.
The Lady Eagles gave up four runs in the seventh inning to lose game one 6-3 and three runs in the top of the ninth to fall 8-6 in game two. Winthrop finishes the regular season 25-27 while Elon improves to 35-19.
Winthrop combined for nine runs on 20 hits and left a total of 17 runners on base in the two games.
In game two, the Lady Eagles and Phoenix went to extra innings and neither team scored a run in the eighth. In the top half of the ninth, Emerald Graham was placed on second base and moved over on a sacrifice. Ashleigh Jackson gave up a double to pinch-hitter Pam DelPizzo to right center that gave Elon a 6-5 lead. Hannah Shelton tripled to make it 7-5 and that was followed by a double off the bat of Lauren Taylor to make it 8-5. Winthrop did manage one run in the bottom of the ninth on a double to left center by Chelsey Schoenfeldt.
Megan Evans started the game, but exited in the fourth after allowing five runs on eight hits with no walks and four strikes in three and two-thirds. Jackson took the loss and is now 1-4 after allowing two earned runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts in five and one-third innings.
Taylor earned the win on the mound for Elon as she is now 15-7 after throwing six and two-thirds of relief and allowing one earned run on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
After Elon took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning, Winthrop answered right back with four runs in the bottom of the inning. Pearl Coleshill came through with a two-RBI single through the right side and Taylor Wright followed with an RBI single to right. Winthrop took the lead when Coleshill scored on a throwing error by the catcher.
Immediately the Phoenix answered and took a 5-4 lead in the top of the fourth as Tomeka Watson hit a two-run blast to left center. Winthrop tied the game in the bottom of the fifth on a single to center field by Lauren Levin, who finished with three RBI on the day.
Cari Wooldridge retired the first two batters in the seventh, but hung a pinch to Watson, who then ripped a line drive over the fence in left center to tie the game. Elon didn't stop as it added three more runs, the big hit coming off the bat of Kaitlyn Piazolla as she singled through the left side and reached second as the ball hit off the glove of Megan Chapman. Chapman chased the ball down and tried to get the second runner going home, but the throw was late.
Winthrop was the first team on the board after Lauren Levin hit her first home run of the season, a two-run shot. Prior to her home run, the left fielder Watson misplayed a foul ball.
Elon wasted no time getting back in the game as Jacqueline Gonzalez singled up the middle, scoring two and tying the game.
Lenny Stoddart put the Lady Eagles back in the lead with an RBI single down the left field line. Ashlee Revell singled up the middle to get things going and moved to second after a single by Levin. Revell was replaced by Jenna Harbin, who scored on the Stoddart single.
Wooldridge suffered the loss and falls to 14-14 after allowing six runs on eight hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Wright, Revell, Levin and Stoddart all had two hits each.
Elon's Erin O'Shea improved to 16-8 as she allowed three runs on 10 hits with a walk and six strikeouts.
