Box Score

BOONE, N.C. -- A nine-run fourth inning propelled the Elon Phoenix baseball team to a 16-10 Southern Conference victory over Appalachian State on Sunday afternoon as the Phoenix completed the three-game series sweep of the Mountaineers.  The win upped Elon's record to 12-5, 3-0 SoCon while ASU fell to 8-8, 0-6.

Appalachian State's Tyler Zupcic started the bottom of the first by singling on an excuse me swing that floated a ball into shallow right field.  With two down, ASU loaded the bases with walks to Jeremy Dowdy and Trey Holmes before Zack Briggs cleared the bases with a double to the gap in left-center.  The 3-0 lead was the first edge that the Mountaineers held in the series.

With one away in the top of the second, Grant McCoury belted a 2-1 pitch deep over the fence in left to put the Phoenix on the board and make it a 3-1 game.  It was his first homer of the season.

ASU got that run back in the bottom of the inning when Zupcic got a ball up into the gusting winds for a homer to left with two down.

The huge Elon fourth began with Niko Fraser being hit by a pitch.  After Fraser swiped second and moved to third on a ground out, he raced home and slid just under the tag on a wild pitch to cut the Phoenix's deficit to 4-2.  With two outs, Elon had McCoury on second and Ryan Kinsella on first when Seth Canipe lined a single up the middle to drive home McCoury with Elon's third run.  On the throw to third to try and get Kinsella, Canipe took second.  Sebastian Gomez then gave Elon a 5-4 lead by ripping a single to left that plated both Kinsella and Canipe.  After Elon loaded the bases with walks to both Harry Austin and Jake Luce, Fraser lined a 3-2 pitch to left to score two more as the Phoenix built a 7-4 lead.  Alex Swim made it a 9-4 game when he laced a ball into the left field corner for a double that plated both Fraser and Luce.  Neal Pritchard got in on the act with a double to left-center, scoring Swim with Elon's ninth run of the inning.

Appalachian loaded the bases with a double and two walks in the fourth before Zupcic lifted a fly ball to center for a sacrifice fly that made it a 10-5 contest.  Elon escaped further damage when Hector Crespo grounded into a double play to end the at bat.

Elon tacked on another when a Mountaineer throwing error let Austin reach at first and Kinsella score from second with two outs in the fifth.

Back-to-back-back one-out doubles from Dowdy, Holmes and Briggs scored two more ASU runs as the score moved to 11-7 in favor of the Phoenix in the fifth.  After a fly out, back-to-back walks loaded the bases for Zupcic who grounded back to the pitcher to end the threat.

The Phoenix kept the scoring going in the sixth, tallying three runs on Canipe's second homer of the season.  This one just cleared the fence in left and scored both Pritchard and Kinsella.  Elon kept the pressure on as Gomez and Austin both reached with singles and moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch.  Luce drove both runners home with a ball just inside the first base bag that went for a double and gave the Phoenix a 16-7 advantage.

ASU scored three times in the bottom of the ninth, including a solo homer off the bat of Daniel Kassouf to start the at bat.

John Brebbia (2-0) was awarded the win after he tossed 3.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.  Brebbia struck out four and allowed just three hits.  Elon starter Jared Kernodle went three innings and gave up five runs on four hits.

Seth Grant (1-3) suffered the loss after he was roughed up for nine runs on five hits and four walks in just 3.2 innings.

Four Phoenix hitters notched two-hit performances – Luce (2-for-4, one run, two RBI), Kinsella (2-for-3, three runs, Canipe (2-for-5, two runs, four RBI) and Gomez (2-for-4, two runs, two RBI).

Briggs led ASU's offense with a 2-for-4, four-RBI performance.

Elon returns to Latham Park on Tuesday night to host the East Carolina Pirates at 6 p.m.