ELON, NC -- The Elon Phoenix scored a season-high 12 runs on 11 hits en route to a 12-1 defeat of visiting Oakland on Monday afternoon in collegiate baseball action. Elon has now won seven straight games after dropping its first two contests of the year to own a 7-2 record. Oakland is now 0-2 after the two game sweep.
Elon got things going in the bottom of the first when Evan Tartaglia (1-for-2, R) scored on one of Mike Fratoe's (2-for-3, 3 R, 3 RBI) two doubles. Fratoe then advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored when the catcher tried to throw him out at third, but threw the ball down the left field line to give Elon a 2-0 cushion.
The Golden Grizzlies would plate their only run in the top of the third when Brian Marulli (1-for-4, R) scored from second base on a failed pickoff attempt of Will Tollison (0-for-3, HBP) at first base.
In the bottom of the third Elon would answer with four markers. Tartaglia began the one-out rally with an infield single and moved to second on a Gary Morris (1-for-4, R) single. Brian Ingram (1-for-3, 2 R, RBI) would follow that up with a single back up the middle and go to second on the throw to the plate that was too late to get Tartaglia. With runners on second and third, Fratoe sent his second double into right-center field, scoring both Morris and Ingram. Fratoe crossed the plate when George Brandner (1-for-3, RBI) singled.
Elon would add on three more runs in the fourth when Ricky Callison (1-for-1, 3 RBI) would hit a pinch-hit double with the bases loaded, scoring Mike Hromadka (0-for-2, R), Wes Miller (1-for-3, R) and Paul Bennett (1-for-3, R).
The Phoenix would add its final three runs on a pinch-hit three-run bomb from Mike Puccini (1-for-2, R, 3 RBI) to left in the bottom of the seventh.
Matt Garner (2-1) pitched five innings to pick up the victory. Garner allowed no earned runs on two hits and struck out six Oakland hitters. Lance Cole, Adam Acosta, Luke Pangle, Braeden Baldwin and Fratoe combined to pitch the final four innings and allow two hits and fan eight Grizzly batsmen.
John Sullivan (2-for-3) collected two of the Oakland hits with Ryan Frieburger and Marulli each having one of the other two.
Brad Morenko (0-1) suffered the loss after hurling three innings and allowing nine runs (eight earned) on nine hits. Morenko walked two and struck out one.
The victory was the 184th victory for coach Mike Kennedy, tying him with John Sanford for second on the all-time wins list at Elon. Kennedy now trails only Robert McBee who won 196 games as the Elon skipper from 1977-1984, eight seasons. Kennedy is now in his seventh year at the helm of the Phoenix baseball program.
Elon will now hit the road for its next four contests beginning with a single game at East Carolina on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. From there the Phoenix will head to Auburn to take on the 15th-ranked Tigers in a three-game set beginning Friday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.
Game Box Score
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