Box Score

ELON, N.C. -- David Whitehead allowed just two runs over seven innings while Alex Swim drove in four runs to lead the Elon Phoenix to a 12-3 baseball victory over the visiting Temple Owls from Latham Park on Sunday night.  The Phoenix (8-4) concluded the Elon Invitational with a 3-1 record while Temple (3-5) went 0-2 on the weekend.

Whitehead (1-0) claimed the first victory of his career after giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits in seven frames.  He also fanned four.  The duo of Grant McCoury and Mitch Conner finished off the game for the Phoenix.

With Cyle Rasmus on second after drawing a one-out walk and stealing second, Swim lined a double to the gap in left-center to put the Phoenix on the board with a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.

Temple broke through with a two-spot in the top of the fifth to grab a 2-1 lead.  After Will Remillard reached on a fielder's choice and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, Byron McKoy singled on a line drive knocked down by Rasmus at second.  On the play, Remillard scored to tie the game and McKoy took second on an errant throw to the plate.  Adrian Perez followed with a single through the left side of the infield to drive home McKoy with the second Owl run.

The Phoenix answered immediately in the bottom of the fifth, scoring once when a Rasmus ground out plated Harry Austin from third.

Walks to McCoury, Neal Pritchard and Seth Canipe loaded the bases with one out for Elon in the sixth.  A balk then allowed McCoury to trot home with the go-ahead run.  With two away, Austin ripped a single to left to knock in both Pritchard and Canipe to give the Phoenix a 5-2 advantage.  Jake Luce made it Phoenix runners on the corners with a single to right and then Elon pulled off a double steal that made it a 6-2 game.

Ryan Ferguson drove a 3-2 pitch over the center field fence to lead off the Temple eighth to trim the Owls' deficit to 6-3.

With the bases full in the bottom of the eighth, Swim ripped a two-out double to right-center to clear the bags and stretch the Elon edge to 9-3.  Swim then raced home from second on McCoury's infield single with the 10th Phoenix tally of the evening.  Pritchard made it a 12-3 game by crushing his second homer of the year over the wall in left.

Swim ended the evening with four RBI and a run scored while going 2-for-5.  Pritchard scored twice and drove in two while Luce went 2-for-3 with a run scored.  Luce has now had multi-hit outings in three consecutive games.

Temple's McKoy recorded three of the Owls' eight hits while scoring one run and driving in another.

Steve Nikorak (0-1) took the loss in relief of starter Brant Norlander.  Nikorak allowed four runs on two hits and four walks in three innings.  Norlander lasted just four frames after he walked seven hitters and surrendered two runs.  All told, four Temple pitchers issued 12 walks, a season-high for the Phoenix.

Elon will play again on Tuesday at 5 p.m. in Chapel Hill, N.C. as the Phoenix takes on the North Carolina Tar Heels.