ELON, N.C. – Elon University baseball pushed across two runs in the bottom of the ninth and had the tying run at third, but William & Mary escaped the threat for a 4-3 final on Friday, May 20 at Latham Park. The Phoenix is now 25-25 overall and 9-13 in CAA play.

ON THE MOUND
Shea Sprague (5-3) was saddled with the loss as he allowed two runs on four hits and one walk. He added one strikeout in the two-inning start. Sam DiLella gave up the other two runs, one of them earned, on two hits and one base on balls. He added two strikeouts to his totals. Kyle Greenler tossed three scoreless innings with a pair of punch outs, one hit and one base on balls. Joe Savino also came out of the pen, fanning two with one hit as he held the visitors scoreless through two innings.

AT THE PLATE
Alex Duffey finished 1-for-1 with an RBI double and one run scored. Justin Cassella hit 1-for-1 with an RBI and Connor Offshack also batted 1-for-1 with a double. Luke Stephenson went 1-for-3 as he drove in a run, came around once, walked and stole a base. Cole Reynolds doubled in a 1-for-4 outing and Griffin Arnone ended up 1-for-5 with one run.

THE RUNDOWN
The Tribe (25-21, 13-10) opened the scoring with two runs on three hits in the top of the second inning. David Hogarth led off with a bunt single and Jack Cone followed with a single to center field. Joe Delossantos brought both runners in with a double to the gap in left, but was thrown out trying to stretch for a triple. Elon han an opportunity to answer in the bottom of the frame as Reynolds led off with a double to left. He then moved up to third on a Willie Havens ground out to second, but the Phoenix couldn't bring Reynolds home as Samuel Frontino went down looking and Parker Haskin flew out to center.

Elon got on the board in the third to get to within a run at 2-1. Arnone singled up the middle, Connor Coolahan walked and the pair advanced one base each on an Alex Iadisernia ground out to second. Arnone then crossed the plate on an RBI fielder's choice by Stephenson. However, an Elon fielding error in the top of the fourth and a W&M sacrifice fly in the fifth allowed the Tribe to pull away, 4-1.

Down to its final three outs, Stephenson walked to start the bottom of the ninth. After Charlie Granatell struck out and Reynolds fouled out to third base, Duffey pinch hit for Bryce Jeske and drove in Stephenson with a two-base hit to right center. Cassella then pinch hit for Frontino and delivered an RBI base knock to right to get the maroon and gold to within a run at 4-3. Following a delay due a tripped breaker that caused a light to go out, Offshack entered the game as a pinch hitter for Haskin. The Collegeville, Pa. native smacked a 2-0 pitch to the gap in right that would've scored Cassella easily, but the ball bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double and Cassella had to return to third. W&M then got out of the jam as Arnone popped up to short.
 
NOTES
- W&M pulls to within 20-16 in the all-time series.
- This was Elon's 11th one-run game of the season. The Phoenix is now 6-5 in games decided by a run.
- For the second time in as many games, Duffey pinch hit in the ninth and came through with a double. In the series opener vs. Towson last Friday, May 13, he led off the bottom of the ninth with a double to right center.
- With a walk in the bottom of the sixth, Iadisernia has now reached base in 13 consecutive games.
- Sprague's two innings pitched ties his shortest start of the season. He also went two complete innings in a loss to UNC Asheville on April 16. 

UP NEXT
Tomorrow's series finale, originally scheduled for a 4 p.m. start, has been moved up to 1 p.m. in an effort to avoid bad weather in the forecast. The game also marks Senior Day for the Phoenix.