GREENVILLE, N.C. - The Elon Phoenix, ranked 66th nationally in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Poll, earned its 14th victory in its last 15 matches with a travel schedule-shortened 4-1 non-conference victory over the East Carolina Pirates on Thursday afternoon at the ECU Tennis Complex.

The loss dropped the Pirates' spring record to 17-3, while the Phoenix improved to 17-5.

Elon rallied to capture the doubles point and followed with singles wins at the two, three and four positions to secure the triumph.

After Bryan Oakley and Stephen Whitwell turned in an 8-4 win over Alberto Rojas and Cody Stauffer MacDowell in a number three matchup to open pairs play, the Phoenix bounced back with victories in both the number one and two positions to garner the first point.

Carlin Murray and Oscar Podlewski earned an 8-6 decision over Aleksey Kochetov and Henrik Skalmerud at number two before 32nd-ranked Damon Gooch and Philip Nemec outlasted Denis Ermilov and Jaroslav Horvath 9-8 to give Elon a 1-0 lead.

Rojas started singles play with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Ermilov at the number four slot and Podlewski added a 6-4, 6-4 triumph against Horvath at number two to push the Phoenix' edge to 3-0.

Kochetov followed by pushing his spring singles record to 17-2 and producing East Carolina's only tally of the afternoon by dismissing Stauffer MacDowell 7-5, 6-2 in a number five meeting before Nemec turned in the match-clincher with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 defeat of Skalmerud at number three.

The singles matches at numbers one and six were unfinished.  At number one, 69th-ranked Gooch led Stephen Whitwell by a 6-1, 5-6 margin when the match was called.  Murary trailed Bryan Oakley 3-6, 7-5 when the match was called

Elon's final two regular season matches will be played at home at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.  The first contest will be held on Apr. 15 when the Phoenix plays host to UNC Greensboro in a 2 p.m. contest.

-- ELON --