ELON, N.C. – Trailing 4-0 after four innings, the Elon Phoenix rallied back to defeat the visiting UNC Greensboro Spartans by a 7-5 margin from Latham Park in Southern Conference baseball action on Saturday night. Freshman Ryan Adams' pinch-hit, two-run homer, his first career home run, which capped a five-run bottom of the eighth was the difference in the contest as the Phoenix improved to 25-21 overall and 12-8 in SoCon play. The Spartans dropped their record to 23-20 overall and 9-8 in league play.
Guy Welsh continued his assault on Phoenix pitching in the first inning of game number two by doubling home Tim Carrier who had led off the inning with a walk.
Singles from Chris Vasami, Ryan Addison and Mike Melillo loaded the bases for Elon in the bottom of the second with one out. The Phoenix was unable to score, however, as Drew Davis grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.
UNCG pushed its lead to 2-0 in the fourth when Carrier doubled home Brandon Harvey with two outs. Matt Gaski followed with a single to right, plating Harvey with run number three on the game. Following a catcher’s interference call that allowed Welsh to reach, Ricky Orton singled to left to score Gaski.
The Phoenix loaded the bases with a Melillo double, Davis walk and Chase Austin infield single to start the fifth. Chris Dove’s ground out allowed Melillo to score with Elon’s first run of the contest. Jordy Snyder’s ground ball out to short plated Davis and cut the Phoenix deficit to two runs at 4-2.
Pat Irvine led off the Phoenix eighth with a walk and went to third on Vasami’s single through the left side of the infield. A wild pitch scored Irvine and allowed pinch-runner Adam Weaver to move to second. Weaver scooted over to third on a ground out before Ryan Addison reached on an infield single, scoring Weaver to tie the game. On the play, the throw sailed high at first and Addison went to second. Addison swiped third before Melillo grounded out to first for out number two. Davis followed with a double to left to give Elon its first lead of the game as Addison scored to put the Phoenix on top 5-4. Elon tacked on two more when Adams blasted his pinch-hit, two-run homer to centerfield.
Welsh doubled to left-center to lead off the top of the ninth. He moved to third as Orton grounded out for the first out of the inning. Another ground out scored Welsh, but more importantly for Elon, the second out was recorded.
Vasami posted his third four-hit game of the season, going 4-for-4 while Addison, Melillo and Davis had two hits apiece. Five different Elon players drove home runs and six different players scored. Davis scored twice.
For UNCG, Welsh finished the night 3-for-4, his second such performance in as many days. No other Spartan had a multi-hit outing.
Jesse Lewter (3-2) earned his second victory of the week out of the bullpen for Elon. The junior lefty hurled 3.0 innings and allowed just one run on three hits. Will Romanowicz battled through 6.0 innings and surrendered four runs (three earned) on seven hits in the starting role. Romanowicz struck out five.
Taking the loss was Kory Judd (4-3). Judd, the third of five Spartan pitchers used on the night, was touched up for three runs on two hits in just one inning of action. UNCG starter Matt Gibbs left with a 4-2 lead after 5.0 innings. Gibbs scattered six hits and struck out three.
The rubber match of this three-game set will be played at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon from Latham Park.
– ELON –
