ELON, N.C. – The Elon University baseball team scored its most runs in a Colonial Athletic Association game since March of 2015 as the Phoenix defeated the Towson Tigers by a 16-4 margin at Latham Park on Saturday, May 12. 

Elon (30-21, 12-8 CAA) secured its first 30-win season since 2013 and was one run shy of matching the most runs scored by the program in a CAA game.

George Kirby (9-2) became the first nine-game winner for Elon since Dylan Clark won nine in 2013. Kirby allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits in 5.0 innings. He struck out four.

The Phoenix offense was led by Garrett Stonehouse who matched a personal best with five RBI as he was 3-for-4. Ryne Ogren drove in three and scored twice in a 1-for-2 night.

For Towson (13-38, 6-14), Michael Adams (3-7) took the loss as he surrendered eight runs on six hits in 4.0 innings.

At the plate, Noah Cabrera scored twice in a 1-for-3 game. Both Colin Gimblet and Richard Miller also went 1-for-3 and each drove in one for the Tigers.

How It Happened: Elon jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first and never looked back. Zach Evers started things with a four-pitch walk and stole second. With runners on the corners with one out, Joe Satterfield's infield single plated Evers to get the Phoenix on the board. Elon loaded the bases with two outs for Stonehouse who laced a three-RBI double to the gap in right-center to get the maroon and gold its 4-0 advantage.

After Towson scored an unearned run on a Tristan Howerton single in the second, Elon got two more in the bottom half when Ogren doubled home Evers and Ty Adcock.

The Phoenix tacked on two more in the fourth, the first on Adcock's leadoff homer, his first of the year. The second came when Evers, who had doubled and stole third, scored on an Ogren sacrifice fly.

Towson tried to claw back in it by scoring twice in the top of the fifth. The first two hitters reached thanks to a walk and single before a ground out advanced both into scoring position. Gimblet followed with a sacrifice fly before Miller singled home the second run.

After Elon scored one in the last of the fifth, the Tigers made it a 9-4 game when Charlie Watters singled home a run in the sixth.

Elon's offense exploded in the seventh as the Phoenix sent 11 men to the plate and scored seven runs, its most in an inning this season. Satterfield led off with a single to center and moved to second on a one-out wild pitch. After a walk, Stonehouse drove home his fifth run of the game with a single to left. With the bases loaded and two outs, a wild pitch allowed the second run of the inning to cross the plate. Towson looked like it would get out of the inning there when Evers hit a ground ball to short, but the throw to first was errant and two runs scored to make it a 13-4 contest. Back-to-back walks reloaded the bases for Satterfield who drew a walk to force home the 14th run of the game. James Venuto drove home the final two runs of the game with a single through the right side.

Notes: Evers stole three bases to become the first Elon player to do so since Garrett Koster did so at Old Dominion in 2011... The Phoenix ended the night with a season-high five stolen bases... Elon's seven-run inning marked the most runs scored in an inning since the Phoenix plated seven in the sixth inning of a 15-2 win over Delaware in April of 2017... Pitcher Robbie Welhaf received a pinch-hit at bat in the eighth inning; it was the first at bat of his career.

On Deck: Elon will look to complete the three-game sweep of Towson on Sunday, May 13. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at Latham Park.