WILMINGTON, North Carolina – The UNCW softball team combined for 18 hits, including home runs by Mary Sobataka and Skylar Stockton, over two games to secure a series win with a pair of victories vs. Elon on Saturday afternoon at Boseman Field.
The Seahawks (14-9, 5-0 CAA) pushed their winning streak to five games with 3-1 and 8-3 results in Games 1 and 2, respectively, against the Phoenix (8-17, 3-2 CAA). UNCW will go for the sweep on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Six different Seahawks had at least two hits over both Saturday contests, including three each by Sobataka, who has reached safely in 16 straight games, and senior Tayler Vitola. Stockton ran her hitting streak to eight games while Vitola extended her own to six games.
GAME 1 | UNCW 3, Elon 1
Sobataka quickly erased UNCW's early 1-0 deficit with a two-run blast over the center field wall in the bottom of the first. Vitola scored on the round-tripper after leading off the frame with a single up to center.
Stockton then turned on the third pitch of the bottom of the sixth to send it over the center field wall. The homers were all the offense Kara Hammock (7-3) needed in her third straight complete game and sixth overall this season.
Elon's McKenna McCard (3-4) fired six innings and surrendered seven hits and three runs.
GAME 2 | UNCW 8, Elon 3
The Seahawks broke the game open with a five-run second inning, highlighted by a Jentri Meadows two-run single, to earn their second straight CAA series victory this season.
UNCW, who entered the bottom of the second down 1-0, evened the game when junior Lauren Cope ripped a double down the line to score the tying run. Meadows then cleared the bases the next batter before Cassidy Relay raced around the bags when an Elon throwing error on her bunt single went into the right field corner to make it 5-1.
The Seahawks added two more runs in the fifth and one in the sixth. The Phoenix got two back in the seventh inning, but that was all junior Emily Winstead (5-1) needed in her five-strikeout, complete game effort.
Elon's Isley Duggins (1-3) took the loss allowing seven runs, three earned, in 4.2 innings of work.
