HARRISONBURG, VA. – Shea Sprague held James Madison scoreless through six innings, Connor Coolahan drove in three runs and Elon University baseball won the CAA series finale 10-2 on Sunday, April 3 at Veterans Memorial Park.
 
"Can't say enough about the outing Sprague had today," said head coach Mike Kennedy. "He put us on his back and we needed him to! Thought the runs we scored in the first and second innings were huge: Alex Iadisernia's RBI in the first and Coolahan's two RBIs in the second. Got us an early lead and took a little pressure off. I really liked that we were able to score and create offense in a number of ways. Used the bunt game early, put a lot of pressure on with the run game (five bags), and came up with some big hits."

ON THE MOUND
Sprague earned the win to improve to 2-0. The true freshman from Hanover, Mass. scattered three hits, issued three walks, and finished with six strikeouts on the afternoon. Kyle Greenler gave up two runs on three hits and one walk, adding one strikeout in 1.2 innings out of the pen. Ben Simon tossed the other 1.1 innings and allowed just one hit.

AT THE PLATE
Seven of Elon's nine starters turned in multi-hit efforts in the win. Coolahan doubled in a 3-for-6 day at the plate, Will Vergantino doubled twice with three runs and a stolen base in a 2-for-4 outing, and Carlos Marte hit 2-for-3 with a double, two runs, two RBIs and one base on balls. Charlie Granatell batted 2-for-2, drove in two runs, scored two more, walked twice and swiped two bases. Iadisernia also hit 2-for-2 with two walks and an RBI, Cole Reynolds finished 2-for-6, and Griffin Arnone came around three times in a 2-for-4 day. He added one walk and one stolen base to his totals.

THE RUNDOWN
Elon set the tone right out of the gate. Granatell led off the game with a single through the left side, stole second and came home on an Iadisernia single to center field. The Phoenix (14-13, 2-4 CAA) then added two more runs in the second for the 3-0 lead. Vergantino reached on a throwing error to start the frame before Arnone moved him up with a bunt single back to the pitcher. After Marte dropped a sacrifice bunt, Granatell drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Coolahan then singled up the middle to plate Vergantino and Arnone.
 
With two outs and runners on the corners in the fourth, Stephenson and Granatell executed a delayed double steal for the 4-0 advantage. Later in the fifth, doubles from Vergantino and Marte and a sac fly by Granatell pushed across two more runs for the 6-0 lead. Elon continued to pour it on with a three-run top of the seventh. A two-RBI Marte hit back up the middle made it 8-0, and the Elizabeth, N.J. native scored from first on a Coolahan double to center.
 
The Dukes (16-11, 4-2) finally got on the board in the bottom of the seventh as a pair of doubles plated one run. JMU then added a second run in the eighth as a single through the left side brought in a runner from second. In the top of the ninth, a Coolahan hit to the gap in right allowed Marte to score from second. Elon then retired the side in order to end the game.
 
NOTES
- The all-time series now stands at 15-5 in favor of the maroon and gold.
- This was the second career start for Sprague. His six innings pitched and six strikeouts are both season highs.
- Marte's double was his first extra-base hit of the season.
- Coolahan's three hits and three RBIs are both season highs.
- Sprague, Greenler and Simon combined to throw 79-of-124 (63.7 percent) pitches for strikes.
- The Phoenix held JMU's Chase DeLauter, who leads the CAA in multiple offensive categories, hitless on the day. He finished the game 0-for-4.
- Elon outhit JMU 15-7 and stole five bases in as many attempts. The 15 hits mark a new season high.
- This was the 11th time this season the Phoenix has recorded double-digit hits in a game. Elon managed to do it all three games in the series.
- Elon hit .321 (35-for-109) over the weekend with a .431 slugging percentage and a .409 on-base percentage.

UP NEXT
Elon is back at Latham Park this Tuesday, April 5 for the second game in a home-and-home series versus Wake Forest. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.