Box Score

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- A bases-loaded wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning let the winning run score as the UNC Greensboro Spartans capped a three-run inning on their way to a 6-5 Southern Conference victory over the Elon Phoenix on Sunday.

By taking two of the three games over the weekend, UNCG picked up its first series victory over the Phoenix since Elon joined the SoCon for the 2004 season.  It was also Elon's first Sunday loss on the year.

Elon (18-11, 9-3) jumped on top in the first inning when Ryan Kinsella's line drive single down the left field line drove home Alex Swim from second.  Swim was aboard thanks to a single and had moved to second when Neal Pritchard was hit by a pitch.

With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Trevor Edwards was hit with an 0-2 pitch and moved to second on a Eric Brindle single.  Thomas Troelstrup lined a 1-2 pitch to the gap in left-center for a double that scored both runners as the Spartans (16-10, 8-4) took a 2-1 lead.

Jake Luce drew a two-out walk to start a rally for the Phoenix in the fifth.  Niko Fraser followed with a triple down the right field line to tie the game.  Swim put Elon back in front, 3-2, when he laced a 3-2 pitch to the gap in left-center that went to the wall for a triple which plated Fraser.

UNCG immediately responded in its half of the fifth.  Cambric Moye led things off with a single to right and went to second on a sac bunt.  Chris Barker's looping single to left put runners on the corners before Bobby Martin put down a bunt single to even the score at three.

Pinch-hitter Grant McCoury lifted a 3-2 pitch from Jonathan Jones to left which carried over the wall for a solo homer, his second of the year, to give Elon a 4-3 lead.  Garrett Koster made it back-to-back jacks as he belted a 1-2 pitch down the left field line for his third home run of the season.

The bottom of the ninth began with back-to-back pinch-hit singles from John Hein and Zach Leach.  After Drew Gehringer drew a walk to load the bases, Barker's double down the left field line knotted the game at five.  With runners on second and third, Martin hit a come-backer to Elon pitcher Mitch Conner which was misplayed, allowing the hitter to reach to load the bases.  The next pitch to Edwards was in the dirt and went to the backstop and Gehringer raced home with the winning run.

Conner (1-2) suffered the loss after giving up three runs in the final frame.  Starter Jared Kernodle gave up three runs on five hits in 4.1 innings while Dylan Clark and John Brebbia combined to allow just one hit and strike out four in 3.2 scoreless frames.

Tyler Hollstegge (3-1) was the winning pitcher.  He struck out two in a scoreless ninth.

Both Fraser and Swim finished the day 2-for-4 with a run scored and one RBI to pace the Elon offense.

Elon will return to the diamond at 6 p.m. on Tuesday night when Old Dominion visits Latham Park.