ELON, N.C. -- The Elon Phoenix ran its home non-conference winning streak to 15 games with a 6-2 baseball victory over UNC Wilmington from Latham Park on Wednesday night. Elon improved to 23-17 on the year while UNCW dropped to 27-14.
UNCW jumped out to the early 1-0 lead in the first inning when Chris Hatcher scored on Tim Preston’s single up the middle.
With one out in the bottom of the second, Elon evened the score with one swing as Matt Stocco hit his second home run of the season, a solo shot over the leftfield wall.
Elon loaded the bases in the third inning thanks to a strike out and passed ball that allowed John Walker to reach first, a hit batter in Gary Morris and a Paul Bennett single to right. That was followed up by Chris Price’s single to center that plated Walker to give the Phoenix the lead. Chris Vasami’s sacrifice fly to right scored Morris with Elon’s second run of the inning.
One-out singles from Jonathan Batts and Daniel Hargrave put two men aboard for Lee McLean in the fourth inning. A walk to McLean loaded the bases. Michael Marbry promptly grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to get the Phoenix out of danger.
Elon tacked on two more runs in the fifth, using singles from Price and Evan Erickson to score twice and give the Phoenix a 5-1 advantage.
A double to the leftfield gap and a bunt single put runners on the corners for the Seahawks to begin the seventh inning. After Preston popped out to second, John Raynor grounded out, but Hatcher scored his second run of the evening on the play to trim the lead to 5-2.
A Stocco double was followed by Matt Hill get hit by a pitch to put two men on with nobody out for pinch-hitter Kevin Pratt. Pratt put down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third for John Walker. Walker was hit by a pitch, the fifth of the night for Seahawk pitchers and 12th in the two-game series by UNCW, to load the bases. Gary Morris would reach on a fielder’s choice that would bring home Stocco but Hill would be caught coming home after the attempted double play ball got away from the Seahawk first baseman.
Kevin Regan (2-1) earned the victory in relief of Kory Radford. Regan lasted 5.0 innings and allowed one runs on three hits. He also fanned five. Radford went 4.0 innings, giving up one run on five hits.
Elon touched up Ronald Hill (7-4) for five runs, three earned, on four hits. He fanned five.
Price (3-for-4, 2 RBI) has now hit safely in 24 of his last 25 games. Stocco also posted a 3-for-4 night and drove scored twice for the Phoenix.
Hatcher was the lone Seahawk to record multiple hits, going 3-for-4 and scoring both UNCW runs.
The Phoenix will remain at home to host SoCon rival UNC Greensboro in a three-game series that will begin at 7:00 p.m. from Latham Park on Friday night. The Seahawks will take the weekend off before playing host to North Carolina next Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m.
-- ELON -- Game Box Score
