BURLINGTON, N.C. -- Despite allowing four first inning runs, the Elon Phoenix defeated the visiting Campbell Camels 9-6 from the Burlington Athletic Stadium in non-conference baseball action on Tuesday night. With the win, Elon moved to 24-24 on the season and Campbell fell to 16-26.
The Camels benefited from two Elon errors, a wild pitch and a passed ball to jump out to an early 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning. After retiring the first hitter of the game, Phoenix starter Matt McSwain walked the next two hitters. A strike out logged the second out of the inning, but then Jeff Randol singled to left to drive in one. The second run came home on the first error as Chris Price misplayed the ball in left. The final two runs of the inning came home on a single off the bat of Nate Logan, plating Randol and Tom Rispoli, who had reached on a catcher’s interference.
Elon cut into the deficit in its half of the opening inning, scoring two times. Gary Morris led off with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and to third as the throw to second hit him and caromed into left field. Evan Tartaglia’s bunt single and steal put two runners on base. After strike out, Grant Rembert hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Morris. Tartaglia then rode home on a fielding error that allowed Drew Davis to reach base.
The Phoenix tacked on another run in the second inning after a Matt Stocco double and a Paul Bennett single.
Rembert extended his team-best 10-game hitting streak in the third with a single to left. With one out, Tyler Stevens reached via a hit-by-pitch. The two runners advanced on a wild pitch and they both came home on Evan Erickson’s double to right center to take the lead 5-4. Erickson then came home on Bennett’s second single of the night.
Rembert added to the Phoenix lead in the fourth with a two-run homer to left that brought home Price who had drawn a two-out walk.
Campbell cut the Elon lead to 8-5 in the fifth inning after Joe Anthonsen singled to lead off. A walk put two runners on and a single from Rispoli plated Anthonsen for the only Camel run of the inning despite loading the bases with two outs.
A double and a steal of third by Jeff Blick set up Campbell’s sixth run of the game in the sixth inning. Blick came home on Anthonsen’s groundout to short, chipping the Phoenix lead to 8-6.
Rembert scored his third run of the evening in the bottom of the seventh inning when he scored on Erickson’s single to center after reaching on a single of his own.
Chastain went five innings to up his record to 3-3. He gave up five runs (four earned) on five hits while walking four and fanning five. Adam Acosta pitched the ninth for his eighth save.
Rob Finch suffered the loss for Campbell, falling to 1-4 on the year. He allowed eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits in only four innings of work.
Rembert ended the night 3-for-3 with three runs scored and three RBI while Erickson was 2-for-4 with a run and three driven in for Elon. Bennett (3-for-3) and Tartaglia (2-for-5) each logged multi-hit games.
Campbell’s Blick and Rispoli each had two hits.
The Phoenix will visit Wofford for a Southern Conference series beginning at 6:00 p.m. Friday night. Campbell will host UNC Wilmington 7:00 p.m. tomorrow night.
-- ELON -- Game Box Score
