ELON, N.C. -- Elon University played under the lights on campus in the first time ever in its 103-year baseball history and gave the 632 fans in attendance a night to remember. The Phoenix swept the Furman Paladins 8-7 and 21-10 on Saturday from Latham Park. With the sweep, Elon improved to 20-14 overall and 10-7 in Southern Conference play while Furman fell to 11-18, 4-9 on the year.
In game on, Elon jumped out to a 5-0 lead when it plated five runs in the bottom of the third inning. The scoring started when Gary Morris tripled to right-center, bringing home Adam Weaver and Matt Hill. Paul Bennett’s single scored Morris and he then rode home on Chris Price’s double. Price scored the final run on Evan Erickson’s single.
Furman got one back in the fourth on an A.J. Davidiuk homer to center. The Paladins added two more in the seventh when Spence Gibbs’s single scored Joe Daysh. Tony Maccani would later score the second run on a sac fly from Case Cassedy.
The Paladins grabbed a 7-5 advantage in the eighth inning using three hits and two Elon errors. With two men on and one out, Maccani grounded into a fielder’s choice, but a Phoenix error allowed Sam McLain to score the first run. Ben Terry’s single to right plated two, as both Joey Rodgers and Daysh. Furman picked up the lead when Andrew Greene’s single scored Gibbs.
Elon rallied in the ninth inning with three runs of its own to pick up the game one win. Bennett’s double scored Morris with the first run and he then moved to third on Price’s single. A double play left Elon a run down with two outs, but a Drew Davis walk was followed by a Matt Stocco (pictured right) triple to right-center to win the game.
George Blystone (1-3) earned the win in relief, hurling 1.2 innings. He did not allow a hit and walked one while striking out one. Elon starter Matt McSwain struck out seven Paladin hitters in 6.0 innings of work McSwain gave up three runs on five hits.
The loss was handed to David Mitchell (0-2) who went 1.0 inning and gave up three runs on three hits and two walks. Paladin starter Sam Perry was touched up for five runs on four hits in 4.2 innings.
Furman took an early 3-0 lead in game two, scoring three unearned runs off Elon starter Matt Chastain. The first came home when Terry scored on a Phoenix error that allowed Cassedy to reach base. Matthew Betsill's groundout brought home Greene and Cassedy scored on Davidiuk's single to right.
The Phoenix stormed back, scoring seven times in its first at bat and never looking back. Morris led off the inning and reached on the first of six Paladin errors for the game. He promptly stole second and moved to third when the throw went into centerfield. Bennett's bunt single scored Morris. Following a Price single, Davis doubled to score both runners and tie the game at three. Stocco's double to left plated Davis and Erickson, who had walked, and gave Elon the 5-3 lead. A dropped third strike allowed Hill to reach and both he and Stocco scored on Ryan Radford's double to right-center to end the scoring in the inning.
After Furman scored twice in the top of the second on a Gibbs two-run homer, Elon scored five more times in its half of the inning. Hill and Weaver each recorded one RBI in the frame, but Morris delivered the big blast, a three-run home run over the centerfield wall, his first of the season.
The Phoenix would score six more times in the third, two more times in the fourth and one run in the seventh to reach its 21-run total. The 21 runs scored was a season high for Elon who had earlier plated 20 runs in a win over Columbia. Furman scored once in the sixth, three times in the seventh (including a Davidiuk homer) and one more in the ninth.
Chastain (3-1) earned the victory for Elon. He gave up six runs (three earned) on nine hits in 6.0 innings of work. He also fanned five and did not walk a batter. Ben Hunter (4-3) suffered the loss, allowing six runs (five earned) without recording an out. Elon tallied four hits off the Paladin starter.
On the day, Morris went 5-for-10 with four runs scored and six driven in. Bennett (5-for-10, four runs scored, five RBI), Price (4-for-7, three runs scored, one RBI) and Stocco (5-for-7, four runs scored, four RBI) all had at least four hits for Elon as well.
For Furman, Greene logged a 4-for-8 day with two runs scored and one RBI while Terry went 4-for-6 with one run scored and two driven in. Davidiuk posed a 4-for-9 day, scoring twice and driving in four.
The two teams will finish the three-game set Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. from Latham Park.
- ELON - Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
