HARRISONBURG, Va. – Despite big games from junior Olivia Yarbrough, sophomore Holiday Cahill and freshman Megan Dejter, the Towson softball team couldn't hang on to a late lead and fell 8-6 to Elon in an elimination game at the 2015 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Softball Championship at James Madison's Veterans Memorial Park on Thursday afternoon.

Towson, which reached the title game last season in Harrisonburg, ends the year with a 35-22 record. The 35 wins are the most for the Tigers since 2008. Elon (31-21) advances to play James Madison in an elimination game later on Thursday.

Yarbrough and Cahill weren't retired in the game, going a combined 7-for-7 with four runs scored and three RBI's. Dejter entered the game in relief of starter Missy McCormick and allowed no earned runs and just five hits in six innings of work.

Towson wasted little time in the first inning, plating three quick runs. Cahill drove in two runs with a double and then McCormick followed with a run-scoring single to center.
 
Elon answered in the bottom half of the inning as the first two Phoenix batters reached before freshman Kara Shutt drilled a three-run homer over the right field wall to tie the game. Emily Roper made it back-to-back knocks with her own home run to make it 4-3 and chase McCormick from the game.
 
With one out in the fifth, Tiger freshman Brook Miko doubled home Yarbrough and then Cahill brought home Miko with a single to give Towson the lead back, 5-4. The Tigers added another run one frame later thanks to a wild pitch that allowed Yarbrough to score to make it 6-4.

Still trailing 6-4 entering the bottom of the sixth, Elon rallied for four runs thanks in part to three Tiger errors. Shutt came through with the biggest hit of the inning, a two-run double that gave the Phoenix an 8-6 lead.

The Tigers threatened in the seventh, getting two runners on, but Olivia Baltazar grounded into a game-ending double play.

Towson returns the bulk of its team in 2016, including four of its five All-CAA selections.


-TowsonTigers.com-