WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Junior Kara Hammock went the distance and fourth-seeded UNCW scored five first-inning runs to open the 2024 Coastal Athletic Association Softball Championships with a 5-2 win over fifth-seeded Elon on Wednesday afternoon at Boseman Field.

The Seahawks improved to 30-20 this season and advance to play top-seed Campbell on Thursday at Noon. The Phoenix dipped to 23-28 and will face elimination against the loser of the Stony Brook-Hofstra contest later Wednesday.

Hammock (15-6) recorded her 13th complete game of the season. The 2024 All-CAA Second-Teamer surrendered two runs, one earned, and allowed five hits with three strikeouts.

Elon junior McKenna McCard (11-8) was charged with the loss, allowing five runs and three hits with a walk.

Hammock worked around two walks and an error in the top of the first to limit the damage to one unearned run for the Phoenix.

Back-to-back singles by Tayler Vitola and Cassidy Relay started a three-hit, five-run bottom of the first. The dynamic duo worked themselves into scoring position and gave the Seahawks a 2-1 lead when both raced around on a wild pitch and error.

Freshman Allison Corbin then singled home Morgan Britt three batters later after Britt was hit by a pitch and Mary Sobataka worked a full-count walk. Another wild pitch scored Sobataka and moved Corbin to third.

Another first-year Seahawk, Carson Fleming, then drove in Corbin to make it 5-1. 

The Phoenix added a run in the third, but Hammock kept them off the board the rest of the way. The game ended on an appeal play at second when the Elon runner left early while attempting to tag up on a fly out to Relay.