ELON, N.C. – Trailing Indiana State 9-4 at the seventh inning stretch, Elon University baseball's rally fell short as the maroon and gold fell 9-6 on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 29 at Latham Park. The Phoenix drops to 6-4 on the season while the Sycamores move to 4-5.

"We stayed in the game," said head coach Mike Kennedy. "We did a good job late in the game to scratch a run here, scratch a run there. We needed a couple of zeros. After that five-run third, you really need a zero when you go back out there and we didn't do that. We put up a three. When you're struggling a little bit offensively, it takes some air out of yourselves. [Garrett] Stonehouse and a few other guys were staying positive and telling guys there was a lot of game left. We chipped away a little bit and we were still there. In the ninth you're at bat with the tying run at the plate and you feel like you've got a chance. We've got to put together some better quality at-bats in those situations."
 
AT THE PLATE
Six different Phoenix batters collected a hit, with Jack Roberts finishing 2-for-4 with a run scored. Adam Spurlin went 1-for-2 with a double, two runs, and an RBI. J.P. Sponseller turned in a 1-for-3 effort, doubled, walked, and drove in a run. Tyler Cranston, Anthony Galason, and Garrett Stonehouse each hit 1-for-4, with Stonehouse tripling.

ON THE MOUND
Elon used six pitchers in the loss. Starter Spencer Bauer fell to 1-1 after giving up five runs on four hits and three walks. The Manasquan, N.J. native struck out three batters through 3.0 complete innings. Brian Edgington, Daniel Albrittain, Maxx Harpalani, and Liam Dabagian all made appearances out of the pen. Roberts pitched the ninth, issuing one walk.

THE RUNDOWN
The Phoenix jumped ahead with a pair of runs in the first inning. With runners on first and second, a Sponseller double down the right field line plated one. A Stonehouse ground out to second scored another for the 2-0 edge. The lead was short lived, though, as the Sycamores erupted for five runs in the third. A hit up the middle with the bases loaded evened tha game at 2-2. ISU's Miguel Rivera then homered to left to tack on three more runs.

Elon got a run back in the bottom half of the third. After Spurlin was hit by a pitch, Cranston reached on a throwing error and Spurlin took third on the play. The guests then turned a 6-3 double play, but it allowed Spurlin to come home. However, ISU pulled away again with three more tallies in the fourth. A leadoff triple and a double down the left field line made it a 6-3 lead. With the bases juiced later in the frame, a single through the left side scored two more to extend the gap to 8-3. In Elon's next turn at bat, Stonehouse went into third standing up as the ISU center fielder gambled and lost trying to make a diving play. The senior third baseman then touched home on an Oldham ground out back to the pitcher.

ISU brought added on final insurance run in the seventh thanks to a bases-loaded walk. Elon manufactured its final two runs of the game in the bottom half of the inning. With two away and Roberts on second, Spurlin doubled to the gap in right. Cranston then singled to center for the second run of the inning.

NOTES
-It was the second career triple for Stonehouse. The senior from Westport, Conn. had a three-bagger in a series-opening win at College of Charleston on March 30, 2018.
-Stonehouse's triple is the team's second of the season and first since Oldham tripled in the series finale win over Delaware State on Feb. 16.
-Dabagian made his first career appearance. The freshman out of Media, Pa. pitched 1.2 innings and collected a pair of punch outs. He didn't give up a run and allowed one hit and two walks.
-Oldham threw out a runner trying to steal in the first, marking five consecutive games that the Phoenix have done so.
-ISU improves to 3-1 in the all-times series.

UP NEXT
Game Three in the series is set for a 12 p.m. start tomorrow, March 1.