ELON, N.C. – A pair of four-run innings helped propel the Elon University baseball team to a 10-9 win over visiting North Carolina A&T on Sunday afternoon, March 14 at Latham Park. The Phoenix earned the series victory and improved to 5-8 on the season.

"Thought we did some really good things to jump out front on a tough arm," head coach Mike Kennedy said. "Have to shore up a few things defensively and do a better job getting off the field with two outs. A lot of ups and downs, but that's what you get with young guys. Like that a few guys have been ready and played well when their opportunity has come. We will be better for it!"

ON THE MOUND
Trevor Kirk improved to 1-1 after giving up one hit without issuing a walk in 1.0 inning of relief. The redshirt freshman added a pair of strikeouts in the outing. Joe Sprake picked up his second save of the season, striking out a pair and allowing one hit over 1.1 innings. Starter Brian Edgington gave up four runs on six hits and one walk. He finished with seven strikeouts through 4.1 innings of work. Tristan Corcoran was tagged for two runs on as many hits and one walk in 1.2 innings, and Cole Reynolds tossed 0.2 innings with three unearned runs and one punch out. He did not allow a hit and walked a pair.
 
AT THE PLATE
Alex Iadisernia had a perfect day at the plate, batting 4-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs, one run and one base on balls. Griffin Arnone finished 2-for-4, drove in two runs, scored once, walked once and swiped a bag. Garrett Stonehouse had the other multi-hit outing as he also hit 2-for-4, came around twice and added a stolen base. Willie Havens doubled and scored twice in a 1-for-3 outing, Carlos Marte turned in a 1-for-4 effort with a triple, and Reynolds posted a 1-for-4 day for the team's other hit.

THE RUNDOWN
Scoreless through the first two-and-a-half innings, Iadisernia finally got the maroon and gold going with a solo home run in the bottom of the third. N.C. A&T answered with a Cameran Brantley solo shot in the top of the fourth, but the Phoenix pulled away with a four-spot in the home half of the frame. Havens led off with a double and Stonehouse was then hit by a pitch. Parker Haskin went to execute the sacrifice bunt, but benefited from an Aggies (5-10) throwing error that allowed Stonehouse and Havens to score on the play. With Haskin standing on third, Marte turned on the jets for the RBI triple to left. Arnone and Iadisernia drew back-to-back walks to run the bags full, and a balk then gave Elon the 5-1 lead.

The Aggies wouldn't go away without a fight, thought, and put up three runs on as many hits in the fifth. The visitors started off with a pair of singles to place runners on the corners, and a sac fly to center brought home a run. The other baserunner reached third on the play before coming around on a hit through the left side of the Phoenix defense. N.C. A&T then loaded the bases and Elon brought in Corcoran. The true freshman got the next batter to ground out to second, but another run scored as the Aggies closed the gap at 5-4.

In the bottom of the fifth, Havens led off with a walk and Stonehouse followed with a single through the left side. After Havens took third on a Haskin fly out to right, Jarrett Pico reached on a fielder's choice. The second baseman laid down the sac bunt and the Aggies defense elected to try and get Havens at the plate, but the catcher couldn't hold onto the throw and Havens was ruled safe. Pico and Stonehouse then pulled the double steal and Arnone brought them in with a single through the right side. The New Canaan, Conn. native then stole second and was waved home on an Iadisernia hit back up the middle to push the lead to 9-4.

N.C. A&T got back to 9-6 with a two-run blast in the top of the sixth, but Elon plated another run in the bottom of the frame as Reynolds tagged up on a Pico sac fly to make it 10-6. The Aggies made Elon work for the win with three runs on one hit and an error in the eighth, but the Phoenix retired the side in order in the ninth to hold onto the 10-9 final.

NOTES
- Elon now leads the all-time series 51-10-1.
- This was the team's second series win of the season.
- Iadisernia entered the day hitting .375 and raised his average to .423. He leads the Phoenix with 22 hits.
- The four hits mark a career high for the Jackson, N.J. native.
- The game marked the first career start for Arnone. He now owns a .500 clip (3-for-6) in three appearances this year.
- Edgington's seven strikeouts are a new high in his time as a Phoenix.
- This was the second one-run game this weekend and the 15th of the series, with Elon holding a 9-6 edge over N.C. A&T in those games. Five of the last six meetings have been decided by a run. 
 
UP NEXT
Elon opens CAA play next weekend, March 19-21 as the team hosts James Madison for three games at Latham Park. The series opener on Friday will start at 4 p.m., Game Two on Saturday will begin at 2 p.m., and the sides will close out the series with a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday.