ELON, N.C. – Spencer Bauer and Brian Edgington held No. 8 East Carolina to one run and Nick Cicci hit a two-run home run as Elon University baseball upset the Pirates 2-1 on Saturday afternoon, March 27 at Latham Park.

"Very proud of these guys to take one on the chin like we did yesterday and to bounce back and compete for nine innings was awesome," head coach Mike Kennedy said. " Would have been easy to just roll over and these guys refused to. Cicci had a big home run that held up and was the difference."

ON THE MOUND
Spencer Bauer limited the visitors to one run on four hits and one walk to earn the win and improve to 1-1 on the season. The Manasquan, N.J. native added eight strikeouts through the 5.0-inning start. Brian Edgington then tossed four innings of four-hit ball while issuing one walk with six strikeouts to collect his first save of the year.
 
AT THE PLATE
Cicci finished 1-for-2 with the long ball, run scored and two RBIs. Cole Reynolds went 2-for-3 on the day and touched the plate once, and Griffin Arnone and Alex Iadisernia both turned in 1-for-4 efforts.

THE RUNDOWN
After three innings of scoreless baseball, the Pirates (17-5) struck first in the top of the fourth as Seth Caddell hit a one-out double to left and Alec Makarewicz doubled to the gap in left. The 1-0 ECU lead was short-lived, however, as the Phoenix (6-10) answered in its next turn at the plate. Reynolds led off the frame with a single to right before Cicci connected on the first pitch of his at bat, sending the ball over the wall in left for his first homer of the season and fourth of his career.

ECU put on the pressure in the top half of the sixth. After back-to-back singles put runners on first and second, Edgington induced the fly out to center which was deep enough for the lead man to move up to third. The Hatboro, Pa. product then settled down and retired the next two batters to keep the 2-1 lead. In the eighth, ECU's Thomas Francisco drew a one-out walk and was then pinch-ran for by Ryley Johnson who proceeded to steal second. He was left stranded though as Edgington fanned Josh Moylan and got Caddell to fly out to center.

In the ninth, Edgington struck out the leadoff man before giving up a comebacker up the middle. After Edgington struck out another ECU batter, ECU elected to sub in Garrett Chandler as a pinch runner at first. Chandler then took off for second, but Parker Haskin's throw was on target to Jarrett Pico at second and the Doral, Fla. native applied the tag in time to seal the victory for the Phoenix.

"Both Bauer and Edgington were outstanding," added Kennedy. "Bauer got it started for us and competed his tail off early and would just not give in. Made several big pitches. Edgington came in and made pitch after pitch after pitch! Was fun to watch those two guys execute the way they did!"

NOTES
- Bauer and Edgington combined for 14 strikeouts, which ties the team's season high.
- The win marks the 29th over a ranked opponent in program history and is the first since a 6-3 win over then-No. 20 Wake Forest on Feb. 24, 2019.
- Elon defeats ECU for the first time since March 2, 2016 when the maroon and gold defeated the then-No. 16 Pirates 8-7 in 10 innings in Greenville, N.C.
- It's Elon's first win over a Top 10 team in the country since defeating then-No. 8 North Carolina State 24-12 on March 5, 2013.
- Bauer tied his career high in strikeouts.
- Elon broke a 14-inning scoreless streak with Cicci's homer in the fourth.
 
UP NEXT
Elon will head to Wilmington, N.C. next weekend as the team opens CAA play with three games at UNCW.