Box Score

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Ross Heffley's two-run homer in the top of the 20th inning propelled the Western Carolina Catamounts to a 10-7 victory over the Elon Phoenix in the third game of the 2011 Southern Conference Tournament on Wednesday.  The marathon game was the longest in SoCon history and took six hours and 33 minutes to complete.

The loss, Elon's first in its SoCon Tournament opener in eight seasons, dropped the Phoenix to 36-20 on the year.  It also marked just Elon's second loss when leading after seven innings this season.  Western Carolina improved to 23-29-1.

After Macon Smith drew a walk to start the top of the 20th inning, Heffley connected on a 3-2 pitch and sent it over the wall in left-center for his 11th homer of the year.  Heffley's homer came during his 10th at bat of the game.  A two-out, bases-loaded single from Aaron Attaway would drive home the final run.

With one away in the bottom of the first, Jake Luce narrowly missed a homer as the ball bounced off the top of the wall in right for a triple.  Sebastian Gomez grounded a ball to first and the Catamounts fired home, but the ball was dropped allowing Luce to score the game's first run.

Matt Johns tied the game at one by connecting on his sixth homer of the year down the left field line in the top of the second.

The Phoenix took advantage of the second Catamount error that allowed Garrett Koster to reach to start the second.  After Koster stole second and went to third on a Harry Austin single, Niko Fraser singled through the right side to put Elon back on top, 2-1.

A one-out double from Austin Schultz turned into another Western run when Ross Heffley lined a two-out double down the left field line to even the score at two in the top of the third.

Neal Pritchard drew a one-out walk in the last of the third and raced to third on a Ryan Kinsella single down the right field line.  Alex Swim followed with a deep fly ball to right that was caught for a sacrifice fly that plated Pritchard with the third Phoenix run.

Western loaded the bases in the fourth thanks to a double, single and a walk before a two-out wild pitch allowed the tying run to score.

Kinsella began the Phoenix sixth with a walk before moving to third on a Swim double to right-center.  Ben Scott's one-out ground out to third allowed Kinsella to score to make it 4-3.  The Phoenix then made it 5-3 when Austin singled home Swim with a bouncer up the middle.

Back-to-back one-out singles from Johns and White got things going for Western in the eighth.  After a double steal, Cameron Dullnig's ground out to first brought home Johns to trim Elon's lead to 5-4.  The Phoenix looked like it would get out of the inning there, but a poor throw to first by Gomez bounced and the runner was safe at first as White scored to tie the score at five.  After another single put runners on first and second, Schultz grounded a single to right, but Fraser gunned down Luke Gragg at the plate to end the inning.

The score remained even at five until the 14th inning when White singled up the middle with two outs to score inch-runner Kyle Stewart from second.  That runner was aboard thanks to an Elon error earlier in the frame.

Pinch-hitter Matt Kirchner was hit by a pitch to begin the bottom of the 14th before he moved to second on a sac bunt.  Fraser lined a single to left to drive home Kirchner to even the game back up at six.

Western loaded the bases with a double, fielder's choice bunt and intentional walk before David Whitehead struck out the next two hitters in the top of the 19th.  Aaron Attaway's two-strike swinging bunt went for an infield single as the Catamounts took a 7-6 lead.

Seth Canipe started the Phoenix's half of the 19th with a single to center before Cyle Rasmus pinch-ran and stole second.  A one-out infield single from Fraser put runners on the corners for pinch-hitter Grant McCoury.  After Fraser stole second, McCoury tied the game at seven with a ground out to second.  The Catamounts then intentionally walked both Gomez and Pritchard to load the bases before Kinsella grounded an 0-1 pitch to first to end the threat.

Whitehead (6-2) struck out a career-high seven hitters in five innings, but allowed three runs on five hits to suffer the loss.

Western's Taylor Sandefur (2-3) threw the final inning and a third without allowing a run or hit to pick up the win.

Of Elon's 10 hits, both Fraser and Austin had three-hit outings.  Fraser had the only multi-RBI night for the Phoenix as he drove home two.

Heffley finished 2-for-10 with a run and three RBI for the Catamounts.  Schultz was 2-for-8 with a run while Attaway went 3-for-10 with two RBI.

Elon will play at 1 p.m. on Thursday afternoon against the loser of the College of Charleston-Georgia Southern contest.