ELON, N.C. -- Elon's Ken Ferrer shut down the Samford offense while throwing the first complete game of his career as the Phoenix picked up a 5-1 Southern Conference baseball victory from Latham Park in the regular-season finale for both squads.  Elon improved to 36-20 overall and finished the year 19-11 in SoCon play.  Samford fell to 30-23, 17-12.

 

Ferrer, who needed only 99 pitches in the win, improved to 9-5 on the year and did not allow a walk.  Of the five hits he allowed, only one came after the fifth inning.  The junior has now earned a decision in 12 consecutive outings.  Ferrer's complete game was the second of the year for Elon. The Phoenix now has two nine-game winners in the same season for the first time since moving to NCAA Division I play for the 2000 season. Jimmy Reyes also has nine wins for Elon this year.

 

Samford's Wayne Miller led off the game with an infield single and stole second with one out.  On the steal, the throw to second went into center field and Miller ended up on third.  Mason Meredeth followed by lining a single to right to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead as Miller crossed the plate.

 

Harry Austin and Niko Fraser started the Elon first with back-to-back doubles to tie the game at one.

 

The top of the order came through for the Phoenix again in the third.  Austin led off with a double to left-center before Fraser was hit by a pitch.  Mike Melillo followed by lining his 11th home run down the right field line to put Elon up 4-1.  It was an advantage that the Phoenix would not relinquish.

 

The score remained 4-1 until the bottom of the seventh.  Alex Swim began the frame with his first career triple and then scored on Austin's single up the middle through a drawn in infield to give the Phoenix a four-run cushion.

 

Josh Martin (4-6) was charged with the loss for Samford after allowing all five Elon runs on eight hits in seven innings.

 

Austin ended the day 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and a RBI as he extended his hitting streak to a season-long seven games.  Fraser was 2-for-3 with a run and RBI while Melillo went 1-for-4 with one run and drove in three.

 

Miller scored Samford's lone run and was 1-for-4 at the plate while Meredeth, who also went 1-for-4, had the team's only RBI.

 

The two teams will meet again next Wednesday in Charleston, S.C. in the first round of the 2010 Southern Conference Baseball Championship which will be played at Riley Park.  Elon will be the tournament's four seed while Samford will be seeded fifth.  The game time has yet to be determined.