ELON, N.C. – Shea Sprague shut out William & Mary for six innings, Cole Reynolds homered twice and Elon University baseball defeated the Tribe (26-23) 6-3 on Thursday, May 26 at Latham Park to advance in the 2022 CAA Championship.

ON THE MOUND
Sprague (6-3) held the Tribe to two runs on five hits and two walks to earn the win. He also struck out a pair in the six-inning start. Kyle Greenler picked up his fourth save of the season as he gave up one run on one hit with no walks and three strikeouts through three innings out of the pen.

AT THE PLATE
Reynolds finished 2-for-4 with the two home runs, two runs scored and two RBIs. Will Vergantino also batted 2-for-4 with a double and a run while Luke Stephenson contributed a long ball, two RBIs and one run in a 1-for-4 outing. Also collecting hits were Charlie Granatell (1-for-4), Willie Havens (1-for-4) and Justin Cassella (1-for-5).

THE RUNDOWN
Elon's offense had a quick start as the Phoenix (26-27) needed just two pitches to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Cassella started off the game with a pop up just in front of the pitcher's mound, but the W&M third baseman couldn't make the play and the error allowed Cassella to reach second. Granatell then brought him home as he smacked the first pitch he saw for an RBI single to left. A stolen base and an Elon throwing error allowed a W&M runner to reach third in the bottom of the first, but Sprague induced a fly out to left to keep the Tribe off the board.
 
The Phoenix had an opportunity to make it 2-0 in the second as Vergantino doubled down the left-field line with one out and advanced to third on a Marte ground out to first. However, Coolahan went down swinging as W&M kept it a 1-0 ball game. Elon would get some insurance in the third though as Iadisernia drew a two-out walk before Stephenson hit a two-run blast to left for the 3-0 advantage.
 
Iadisernia thought he had a leadoff homer in the top of the sixth, but W&M center fielder Jack Cone robbed him with a leaping catch at the wall. Later in the inning, Reynolds hit a no-doubter to the same spot to push the Elon lead to 4-0. The Phoenix then made it 5-0 as Vergantino singled down the right-field line and later scored from third on a wild pitch.
 
W&M finally broke through with a two-run blast in the bottom of the seventh. Reynolds answered with his second home run of the game for a 6-2 lead in the top of the eighth, but W&M's Joe Delossantos belted an 0-0 pitch to left in the bottom of the frame to make it 6-3. Greenler then retired the Tribe in order in the ninth to bring the game to a close.
 
NOTES
- Elon now leads William & Mary 21-17 in the all-time series, to include a 9-5 record when playing at Latham Park.
- Elon outhit W&M, 8-6. Both teams committed one error and left four runs on base.
- The Phoenix hit .235 (8-for-35) in the game, to include a .308 clip (4-for-13) with two outs.
- Stephenson's homer was his 13th of the season and 20th of his career. It was also his second in as many days and his fourth in the past seven games. The Algonac, Mich. Native has the program's most home runs in a season since Casey Jones hit 15 during the 2015 season.
- This was the first career multi-home run game for Reynolds.
- It was the fifth time this season Elon has hit three home runs in a game and is the team's 11th multi-home run game.

UP NEXT
Elon will play again tomorrow at 11 a.m. and will face the lower seeded loser from games four and five.