Box Score ELON, N.C. -- A late-inning rally by the Elon offense did not produce quite enough runs as the Phoenix dropped an 8-5 decision to the visiting UNC Wilmington Seahawks from Latham Park on Wednesday night.

Elon (20-15) trailed 8-1 heading into the last of the eighth inning when Antonio Alvarez greeted Seahawk hurler Justin Livengood with a double to right.  After a hit-by-pitch, Danny Lynch belted his first career homer over the wall in right-center to pull the Phoenix within four.  The maroon and gold kept up the pressure as Chris Bresnahan singled through the right side and Chris Schaedel was plunked.  A wild pitch allowed both runners to advance, but as they did, the UNCW catcher threw the ball away at third and Bresnahan raced home to make it 8-5.  The Phoenix was unable to claw any closer however as the next two Elon hitters were retired.

The Phoenix threatened again in the ninth as Alex Swim led off with a single to center that was followed by an infield single from Alvarez.  From there, the final three batters were set down on an infield fly, fly out to center and a strike out to end the game.

UNCW (24-10) got on the board first with an unearned run in its first at bat.  With one out, Tyler Molinaro singled on a ball back to Elon pitcher Jacob Baker.  Baker knocked the ball down, but threw it away at first allowing Molinaro to head to second.  After a wild pitch sent him to third, Molinaro came home on a sacrifice fly.

Elon knotted the score at one in the last of the second when Alvarez, who led off with a triple, scored on Casey Jones' single to second.

The Seahawks moved back in front, 2-1, in the third when Molinaro picked up a RBI on a ground out.

UNCW stretched its lead to 5-1 in the fifth thanks to a Molinaro two-run homer and a Luis Renvill double.  The Seahawks tacked on two in the seventh and another single marker in the eighth to complete their scoring.

Baker (0-1) took the defeat after he surrendered five runs (four earned) on seven hits in 4.2 innings.  He fanned five.

The win went to William Shepley (1-0) who threw two-thirds of an inning in relief of starter Blaze Tart.  Kelly Secrest earned his third save with 1.2 scoreless innings to close out the game.

Alvarez finished a homer shy of the cycle, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored for the Phoenix.  Ryan Kinsella went 1-for-3 to run his hitting streak to a team-best 12 games.

Elon will hit the road for its next four games, starting with a three-game series at eighth-ranked Louisville this weekend.  Friday's series opener is slated for a 6 p.m. start.