Box Score BOONE, N.C. -- Kyle Webb tossed five perfect innings and Wil Leathers hit his second home run of the season as the Elon Phoenix picked up a 10-8 Southern Conference baseball victory over the Appalachian State Mountaineers to even the series at a game apiece on Saturday afternoon.

Webb (6-2), who allowed one earned run in a complete game win a week ago, was dominant early.  The senior set down the first 15 Appalachian State (25-18, 12-12 SoCon) hitters, including striking out the side in both the first and the fourth, before a leadoff single rolled through the right side to start the sixth inning.  Webb finished the day allowing three earned runs (eight total runs) on seven hits in eight innings of work.  He walked just one and fanned eight hitters.  With his performance, Webb improved to 6-0 with a 2.60 ERA in Southern Conference play.

Elon (24-26, 16-10) gave Webb an early cushion.  The Phoenix struck for four runs in the third to grab an early 4-0 edge.  Antonio Alvarez got things started with a walk and was on second when Casey Jones singled to leave runners on the corners.  After a walk loaded the bases, Quinn Bower picked up a RBI with a grounder that was misplayed by the Mountaineer defense.  Niko Fraser then made it a 3-0 game with a single up the middle that plated both Jones and Leathers.  Kinsella drove in the fourth run on a ball through the right side.

With one away in the fourth Alvarez singled and stole second before scoring on a Jones single up the middle.  Jones was then able to ride home when Leathers belted a 1-0 pitch down the left field line for his second homer of the year as the maroon and gold stretched its lead to 7-0.

Elon's lead reached 9-0 in the fifth as Bower put down a two-out, bases-loaded bunt for a single that scored Alvarez and a wild pitch brought home Jones.

Appalachian State began its comeback attempt in the sixth.  ASU got its first runner of the game when Jaylin Davis grounded a ball through the right side to begin the frame.  Preston Troutman followed with a single that also went through the right side before an Elon error loaded the bases.  On Elon's second miscue of the inning, William Head picked up the RBI and the Mountaineers kept the bags full.  Two more came in on a Will Callaway single before the third Phoenix error of the at bat scored the fourth run of the inning.  The Mountaineers would go on to score seven runs in the frame to make it a 9-7 contest.

ASU pulled within one, 9-8, in the eighth inning when a Troutman ground out scored Noah Holmes.

The Phoenix tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth on back-to-back doubles from Danny Lynch and Chris King.

Andrew MacDonald came on for the last of the ninth and garnered his third save of the year.  He allowed a single to start the inning before picking up his lone strike out of the game on the next hitter.  The game then ended when Holmes lined a ball back to MacDonald who snared the shot and doubled off the runner at first.

The loss went to ASU starter Sam Agnew-Wieland (5-5).  He was charged with seven runs (six earned) on five hits in just 3.1 innings.

At the plate for Elon, both Jones and Leathers had two-hit performances.  Kinsella drew a walk to run his streak of reaching base safely to a career-best 27 games.

The two teams are scheduled to play the rubber match of the series at 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.