ELON, N.C. – Jared Wetherbee pitched seven shutout innings, Tyler Cranston and J.P. Sponseller both hit their first career home runs, and Elon University baseball earned a 10-0 series-opening win over UMass Lowell Friday, Feb. 21 at Latham Park.

After the victory, head coach Mike Kennedy said, "Wetherbee's on schedule with his routine and that's more of the Wetherbee that we saw last year. Crantson did some really good things and got us going in the leadoff spot. You're trying to figure out who can play that role for us. You never know what some confidence can do and he's certainly going to leave here today feeling better about himself. But we're looking for somebody to step up in that spot and win some bases, and he did a little more than that today."
 
AT THE PLATE
Cranston turned in a career day at the plate, batting 4-for-5 with a home run, a double, four runs, three RBIs, and a stolen base. Alex Iadisernia finished 1-for-3 as he doubled, scored once, and drove in two runs. Garrett Stonehouse also went 1-for-3 with a two-bagger, walked, and added an RBI. Sponseller had the other long ball for the Phoenix (4-1) as he hit 1-for-4 and brought in two runs.

ON THE MOUND
Wetherbee amassed 11 strikeouts and held the River Hawks (3-2) to just two hits and one walk. Sean O'Connell and Owen Lorenz both tossed 1.0 inning of relief with two strikeouts each.

THE RUNDOWN
Cranston singled to right to start the home half of the first. The Scottsdale, Ariz. native then stole second and advance to third on a fielding error by the UML shortstop. A Stonehouse sacrifice fly to right then made it a 1-0 lead as Cranston tagged on the play. The maroon and gold added three more runs in the second. Adam Spurlin laced a one-out double to the gap in left and took third on a wild pitch. After Jack Roberts drew a walk, Cranston doubled to left to make it 2-0. Iadisernia followed with a sac fly to straightaway center, plating Roberts, and Cranston came home on another UML wild pitch as Elon jumped out, 4-0.

In the third, Nick Cicci worked a 3-1 count for the free trip to first and Sponseller added two more runs to the tally with one swing of the bat. The Mason, Ohio product belted a 2-0 offering over the wall in the right corner for the 6-0 advantage. Elon hung up another crooked number on the board with three runs in the sixth. Roberts doubled to center and was waved home on a Cranston hit to right, who advanced to second on the throw home. Iadisernia doubled to center, and Anthony Galason found a hole through the left side of the defense.

The visitors looked to give Wetherbee trouble in the seventh thanks to a double down the right-field line and a base on balls. A foul out deep enough to right allowed the lead UML runner to grab third, but the ensuing batter came up empty as Wetherbee sent him back to the dugout on a called third strike. The Phoenix added one more run in the eighth as Cranston drove the first pitch he saw over the wall in left.

NOTES
-Wetherbee totaled six strikeouts swinging and five looking. He was one punch out shy of tying his career high of 12, set last year in a win at Towson on April 7. He also retired 12 straight batters to start the game.
-Four different players have now hit five home runs in as many games.
-Eight different batters collected a hit for the maroon and gold.
-Elon has outscored its opponents 42-13 so far this season.
-Today marked the second time Elon has shut out an opponent this year, with both coming at Latham Park. The team defeated Delaware State 8-0 last Sunday.

UP NEXT
The teams are back tomorrow for Game Two, scheduled for a 2 p.m. start.