CLEMSON, S.C. -- Pat Irvine and Chris Vasami each drove in three runs to lead Elon's offense while Jesse Lewter threw 4.2 strong innings in relief and Steven Hensley slammed the door shut in the bottom of the ninth to lead the Elon Phoenix to a 13-12 victory over the 17th ranked Clemson Tigers on Tuesday night.  The win snapped a five-game losing skid for the Phoenix (23-20).  The Tigers (26-14) became the second top-20 foe to be defeated by Elon this year as the Phoenix also knocked off then-#11 Miami.  It was also the 16th victory over a top-25 program since the start of the 1999 season for Elon.

 

Elon fell behind by a run in the bottom of the first inning when Clemson's D.J. Mitchell scored on Marquez Smith's single.

 

The Phoenix responded with a four-run second to grab the lead.  Robert Rodebaugh led off with a walk and went to second on a one-out walk to Mike Melillo.  Ryan Adams' infield single loaded the bases before Chase Austin's sacrifice bunt plated Rodebaugh to even the score.  Chris Dove followed with his sixth triple of the season, driving home both Melillo and Adams.  Dove, whose triple moved him into a tie for seventh on Elon's single season record list, would later score on an Irvine single.

 

Clemson stormed right back and went back on top with a six-run bottom half of the second.  With one away, Wilson Boyd singled and went to second on a passed ball with two outs.  After a Mitchell walk, Taylor Harbin singled home Boyd.  Smith would walk to load the bases and then Andy D'Alessio drew a walk to force home Mitchell.  Following a pitching change, Doug Hogan delivered a big blast, a grand slam to left-center that put the Tigers up 7-4.

 

Melillo's two-run homer in the top of the third pulled Elon to within a run at 7-6.  The blast to right was the second homer of the year for the freshman.  Elon would knot the score at seven in the top of the fourth when Irvine homered down the rightfield line for his fifth home run of the season.

 

In the bottom of the fourth, Mitchell led things off with a single and scored from first on Harbin's double into the leftfield corner.  That put the Tigers back on top by a run.

 

The Phoenix put together another four-run frame in the fifth to grab the lead for good.  Elon loaded the bases with one out as Melillo walked, Adams singled and Austin reached on catcher's interference.  After Melillo was erased at home on a ground ball from Dove, Jordy Snyder singled home both Adams and Austin to give the Phoenix a 9-8 advantage.  A free pass to Irvine reloaded the bases before Vasami's single to left drove in both Dove and Snyder to cap the scoring.

 

After a scoreless sixth, Elon tacked on two more runs in the seventh.  Dove scored the first run on a sac fly to left-center off the bat of Irvine.  Vasami would later double home Snyder with run number two.

 

Clemson did not fold, however, and came back with two runs of its own in the bottom of the seventh when D'Alessio and Hogan went back-to-back with solo homers to start the inning.

 

In the bottom of the eighth, the Tigers pulled to within one at 13-12.  With runners on second and third with two outs, Alex Burg singled to right, scoring both runners with the final runs of the game.

 

Lewter (2-2) picked up the win in relief of J.D. Reichenbach.  Lewter went 4.2 innings and gave up four runs on nine hits.  Reichenbach lasted 1.2 innings and surrendered six runs on three hits and five walks.  Hensley came on to earn his first collegiate save with a 1-2-3 ninth which gave the Phoenix its fourth-ever win over Clemson. 

 

Justin Sarratt (0-1) took the loss out of the pen for Clemson.  Sarratt was tagged for five runs (one earned) on five hits in 1.2 innings of action.  Tiger starter P.J. Zocchi went 3.0 innings and gave up six runs on five hits.

 

Irvine finished the night 2-for-2 with one run scored and three RBI while Vasami was 3-for-5 with three RBI.  Dove scored three runs and was 3-for-6 at the plate.  He also had two steals and two RBI.  Adams went 2-for-3 with two runs scored to record his first multi-hit game of his career.

 

For Clemson, Hogan drove in five runs with his two homers and was 2-for-3 with three runs scored on the night.  Harbin finished 2-for-6 with a run and two driven in.

 

Elon will return home to take on the UNC Asheville Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. from Latham Park on Wednesday night in a late addition to the schedule.