ELON, N.C. – Illinois pulled even in the weekend series as Elon University baseball fell 6-1 Saturday afternoon, March 7 at Latham Park.
 
"That third inning was indicative of the game," said head coach Mike Kennedy. "They got a couple guys on. Didn't smoke some balls, but they put some balls in play and showed a little bit of fight and then their three-hole guy got up and made us pay for a bad pitch. That was a big inning for us. We came back and loaded the bases with one out and have our middle of the order up and we go punch and lazy fly ball. I thought that was a big part of the game. You've got to produce and that would have been a great opportunity for us to answer."

AT THE PLATE
Joe Satterfield finished 3-for-5 at the plate and drove in Elon's lone run. Alex Iadisernia also went 3-for-5 and scored, and Nick Cicci had the other hit for the Phoenix (7-8) as he turned in a 1-for-3 effort with a walk. 

ON THE MOUND
Starter Dean McCarthy falls to 2-2 on the year. The senior lefty allowed four runs (three earned) on nine hits and two walks. He struck out six batters in 5.2 innings. Daniel Albrittain tallied two punch outs in 1.1 innings of relief, and Maxx Harpalani earned Elon's other strikeout in 0.1 innings. Owen Lorenz and Jack Roberts also came out of the pen.

THE RUNDOWN
The Fighting Illini (7-5) opened the scoring in the third. After a single and a double put runners in scoring position, a hit to center brought home both as Illinois took an early 2-0 lead. Elon had an opportunity to answer in the home half of the frame. Adam Spurlin drew a one-out walk, Iadisernia then singled to third, and Jarrett Pico reached on a fielder's choice. UIUC elected to get the force out at second, but the shortstop muffed the throw to load the bases for the Phoenix. However, Satterfield went down looking and the Illini turned the 6-4 force out at second to get out of the jam.

Illinois looked to add to its lead with runners on second and third and one out, but McCarthy sat down the next two batters to keep it a 2-0 deficit. However, the guests pulled ahead in the sixth with another two runs on three hits and an error. The leadoff man singled to center, took second on a wild pitch, and advanced to third on a ground out back to McCarthy. The next batter hit a weak grounder towards Satterfield at third, and the senior elected to get the man out at home. However, his throw to Cicci was too high and Illinois went up 3-0. The batter moved up to second on the play and then scored on a hit to left to extend the lead, 4-0.

With two outs in the top of the ninth, a hit to left and a double to left moved runners into scoring position for Illinois. Both runners then came around on another double to left as the Illini pulled away 6-0. In Elon's last turn at the dish, Iadisernia singled up the middle with two away. Pico then earned a base on balls before Satterfield singled through the right side to spoil the shut out. Unfortunately, Illinois induced a fly out to right to bring the game to a close.

NOTES
-Iadisernia posted his second three-hit game in as many days. It marks his fourth multi-hit outing of the season.
-Iadisernia also extends his hitting streak to five games. He has raised his average from a .162 to a .296 during that span.
-The nine hits allowed marks a new career high for McCarthy.
-McCarthy set a new season high with 103 pitches thrown.
-Elon left 12 runners on base.

UP NEXT
The teams are back in action tomorrow for a 12 p.m. rubber match.