Box Score

ELON, N.C. -- Bobby Lyne allowed just two hits and kept the Elon Phoenix scoreless over eight innings as the Furman Paladins claimed a 3-0 victory in game one of a three-game Southern Conference series on Wednesday night.

The loss dropped the Phoenix to 34-19 overall on the year and 21-7 in SoCon play while Furman improved to 23-29, 13-14.

The Paladins jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning.  The frame began with back-to-back singles from Paul Nitto and Will Muzika before Will Miller doubled down the left field to score Nitto.  Alex Abrams followed with a sacrifice fly to right that plated Muzika. 

The score remained 2-0 until the seventh inning when Furman tacked on another run.  With one out, Abrams singled through the left side.  He then stole second with two outs and headed to third on a passed ball.  After Will Owens walked and stole second, a wild pitch allowed Abrams to race home to give the Paladins a 3-0 advantage.

Elon's best chance to score came in the eighth inning.  With one out, Grant McCoury was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a Garrett Koster single.  After a wild pitch put both runners in scoring position, Harry Austin hit one back to Lyne who caught McCoury in a run down for the second out.  On the play, Koster moved to third and Austin ended up on second.  Niko Fraser looked like he would make it a 3-2 game, but his sharply hit ground ball up the middle was back-handed by Will Muzika who made an off-balance throw that just beat the speedy Fraser at first to end the inning.

Elon starter Thomas Girdwood allowed all three Paladin runs, of which two were earned, to take the loss and fall to 4-5 on the season.  Girdwood surrendered just six hits and struck out seven in seven innings.

Lyne struck out three as he improved to 3-4.  Dylan Cole struck out all three hitters he faced in the bottom of the ninth to pick up his 10th save of the year.

Both of Elon's hits came off the bat of Koster who went 2-for-3 and stole his 12th base of the season.  Fraser saw his career-best eight-game hitting streak come to an end as he went 0-for-4.

Miller and Abrams each recorded one hit and had a RBI for Furman.  Aaron Thompkins had the only multi-hit night for the Paladins, going 2-for-4.

Elon, which still controls its own destiny in capturing the 2011 SoCon title, will look to clinch a share of the league crown on Thursday night when it battles the Paladins at 6:30 p.m. from Latham Park.