Box Score CULLOWHEE, N.C. -- Spencer Medick and Jordan Smith matched each other pitch-for-pitch for much of the day on Sunday, but the Elon Phoenix was able to scratch out a 2-1 Southern Conference baseball victory over the Western Carolina Catamounts to take the series between two of the league's preseason favorites.

Medick (3-1) threw 8.1 innings and allowed just one unearned run on eight hits.  He struck out eight.  Smith (1-3) went 8.2 innings and was charged with two runs on five hits.

With the game tied at one entering the ninth inning, Joey Tomko drew a one-out walk and raced to third on a Chris King two-out single up the middle.  Sebastian Gomez drove home Tomko with the winning run three pitches later with a line drive single to center.

Elon (14-9, 7-5 SoCon) was the first to score, getting on the board with a sixth-inning run.  Gomez began that inning with a double down the right field line and later scored from third on a two-out single to center off the bat of Alex Swim.

Western Carolina (13-11, 5-4) evened the score in the last of the seventh.  With one out, pinch-hitter Luke Gragg singled to left.  The next hitter grounded a ball to second and reached on a fielder's choice, but Elon was unable to record an out at second as the grounder was bobbled.  Danny Bermudez then tied the game with a single down the left field line that left runners on the corners.  Medick escaped further damage by striking out the next two hitters to end the innings.

Medick worked out of a jam in the eighth as well.  The Catamounts had runners on first and second with no outs before a sac bunt moved them up 90 feet.  With the infield in, Medick got a grounder to second for the second out before a ground ball to third ended the frame.

Medick departed after retiring the first hitter of the ninth on a grounder to second.  He was replaced by Nate Young who allowed two runners to reach, but got the final two outs to pick up his sixth save of the season.

Elon will be back on the road for its next game, a Tuesday evening contest at Triad rival High Point.  First pitch is set for 6 p.m.