Box Score ELON, N.C. -- Elon twice erased one-run deficits late, but the Phoenix saw Furman put together a big 12th inning as the Paladins claimed a 10-4 victory in the Southern Conference baseball opener for both teams on Friday at Latham Park.

Furman now sits at 7-2, 1-0 SoCon and Elon is 4-4, 0-1.

"We had opportunity after opportunity," said Elon coach Mike Kennedy.  "I thought we did a couple things late to fight and get back in it.  We also put ourselves in position to win.  We just didn't have good at bats in those situations.  We have to have better at bats in key situations."

The scoring started in the second as both teams pushed across a single run.  Furman's tally came on an Alex Abrams ground out, while Elon scored when Antonio Alvarez doubled home Joey Tomko.

It remained a 1-1 affair until the last of the seventh when Alvarez lined a homer to left to put the Phoenix in front, 2-1.  It was his first home run of the season.

Elon carried its one-run advantage into the ninth inning before Furman rallied off of closer Nate Young.  Taylor Johnson led off with a single  to right-center on an 0-2 pitch and then rode home on Paul Nitto's two-run shot to left.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Phoenix staged its own rally.  Casey Jones got things going with a single through the right side.  Following a sacrifice bunt that moved pinch-runner Chris Bresnahan to second and a walk to Quinn Bower, Niko Fraser loaded the bags with an infield single.  Sebastian Gomez tied the game at three with a grounder to short that erased Fraser and left runners on the corners before a ground out ended Elon's chances of a walk-off win.

Johnson moved the Paladins back in front, 4-3, as he led off the 11th with a homer to left only to see Elon answer again in the bottom half.  A Furman error allowed Alvarez to reach to begin the frame before Fraser's one-out double down the left field line knotted the game back up at four.

In the 12th, Furman rallied with two outs.  Will Muzika and Hunter Burton ripped back-to-back doubles to give the Paladins a 5-4 advantage.  After a walk and hit batter loaded the bases, Elon looked like it would escape further damage when Chris Ohmstede popped up.  However, the ball fell to the turf and two runs scored on the error.  Furman would go on to score a total of six runs in the 12th to make it a 10-4 game.

Taking the loss for Elon was Tyler Manez (0-1).  He gave up three runs (one earned) on two hits in two-thirds of an inning.  Phoenix starter Dylan Clark posted another solid outing.  Clark scattered four hits and gave up one run in seven innings.  He fanned four.

Furman's Ryan Dittmar (2-0) picked up the win with two-thirds of an inning of scoreless relief.  Starter Nate Smith allowed two runs on seven hits in 7.1 innings.

Elon, which stranded 12 runners, had three players record two hits - Fraser (2-for-6, one RBI), Alvarez (2-for-4, two runs, two RBI) and Tomko (2-for-3, one run).

Furman was led by Nitto's 2-for-4, three-run, two-RBI performance.

Elon and Furman will play game two of the three-game series at 2 p.m. on Saturday afternoon at Latham Park.