Fourth-seeded Elon defeated top-seeded Delaware 6-3 in game seven of the CAA Softball Championship presented by Primis to advance to the Championship game, marking the 13th straight season the tournament host will make an appearance in the finals.

Elon improves to 30-21 with the victory and will face third-seeded UNCW at noon tomorrow, Saturday, May 14. Delaware ends the season 29-16 after the setback and is eliminated from the conference tournament. With Elon and UNCW advancing to the Championship game, it marks the first time since 2009 that neither the one nor two seed has reached the Championship matchup. 

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After a scoreless first inning, Elon made noise in the top of the second with three runs. A ground out began the inning before three straight singles loaded the bases. Then with two outs, Keagan Goldwait walked on four straight pitches to score the opening run of the ball game. The next at-bat, Coach Bocock went to the bench, and it paid off as Claudia Penny beat out an infield single to score two runs, extending the Phoenix lead to 3-0. Two batters later, with the bases still loaded, Emily Winburn induced a ground ball to end the inning.

The Phoenix went back to work in the top of the third, adding a run to extend its lead to 4-0. Carley Davis reached on an error before Chloe Hatzapolous singled to put runners on first and second with no outs. Bella Devesa moved the runners with a sacrifice bunt, and Allee Seering loaded the bases with a walk. The run came courtesy of a Megan White sac fly before Sarah Bessel made a diving catch in right field to strand a pair of Elon runners. 

After nothing going in the fourth, Elon tacked on one run in the fifth and another in the sixth. With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the fifth, Drew Menscer beat out an infield single to score Devesa, pushing the Phoenix lead to 5-0. Hatzapolous led off the inning with a walk, and after back-to-back outs, White singled to put runners on first and second. Devesa and White advanced on a wild pitch before Goldwait walked to load the bases.

In the sixth, the Phoenix recorded back-to-back doubles with one out in the inning to increase its lead to 6-0. Carley Davis doubled to right before Hatzapolous smacked one off the center-field wall to score Bella Backer, who pinch ran for Davis.

Delaware’s best inning came in the bottom of the sixth as the Blue Hens scored three runs to cut the deficit in half. Brooke Glanden started the two-out rally with a double to the right-center gap. Grace Rudolph pinch ran for Glanden, and after a Brittney Mendoza walk, the duo moved up a base on a wild pitch. Then Rudolph scored the first Delaware run on a passed ball before Halle Kisamore doubled to score Mendoza. Emily Blum knocked in Kisamore on an infield single after Kailey Christian walked to set up runners on first and second. However, the Blue Hens left runners on first and third, ending the rally and would not score in the seventh.

Hatzapolous reached base in all four of her plate appearances to lead the Phoenix. She went 3-for-3 with a walk, recording an RBI and a run scored. McKenna McCard (3-3) provided 5.2 of solid work in the circle, allowing three hits and three earned runs while matching a season-high with seven strikeouts.