ELON, N.C. – Elon University baseball earned a 13-3 win over No. 2 UNCW, but dropped its CAA Championship elimination game to top-seeded College of Charleston 6-1 on Friday night, May 27 at Latham Park. The Phoenix finishes the season with an overall record of 27-28.

ON THE MOUND
Liam Dabagian (2-2) earned the win and Joe Savino the save in Friday's first game against the Seahawks (31-24). Dabagian held UNCW to one run on five hits and no walks while fanning three in three innings out of the pen. Savino tossed four scoreless frames, struck out three and gave up one hit with one walk. Sam DiLella was tagged for two runs on five hits and no walks in a two-inning start.

Cam Seguin (2-2) took the loss in Game Two versus the Cougars (37-18). The Woburn, Mass. native surrendered four runs on three hits and one walk in 0.2 innings of work. Trevor Kirk collected five strikeouts with one hit and two walks in 2.2 innings in relief. The Phoenix also brought in Ben Simon and Ben Sieracki.

AT THE PLATE
Luke Stephenson led the maroon and gold against the Seahawks, batting 2-for-5 with a pair of home runs, two runs scored and three RBIs. Also collecting multiple hits were Connor Coolahan (2-for-4) and Justin Cassella (2-for-5). Coolahan scored twice and drove in two runs while Cassella added two runs, one walk and a stolen base to his totals. Alex Iadisernia also homered with two runs, two RBIs and one base on balls in a 1-for-5 outing.

Will Vergantino hit 1-for-2 with one RBI in the loss to CofC. Charlie Granatell and Stephenson both doubled and finished 1-for-4, with Stephenson also scoring once. Alex Duffey collected the team's other hit, batting 1-for-1 in his only plate appearance.

THE RUNDOWN
Elon and UNCW both scored one run in the second inning. Stephenson hit a leadoff home run to left for the first run of the game and the Seahawks pulled even at 1-1 thanks to an RBI ground out to second. The Phoenix then plated three runs on as many hits and one error in the third. After Cassella drew a one-out walk, he stole second as a failed pickoff attempt got past the UNCW first baseman, allowing Cassella to move up to third. He then crossed the plate on a Coolahan bunt single, and Iadisernia hit a 2-0 pitch down the right-field line for a two-run blast. UNCW's Noah Bridges then answered in the bottom of the third with his leadoff blast cutting the Elon lead to 4-2.

Carlos Marte scored on a Coolahan sac bunt in the fourth before UNCW's Ethan Baucom hit an RBI double down the left-field line in the fifth. The Phoenix then put the game out of reach with a five-run top of the fifth as UNCW committed another three errors. The maroon and gold added another three runs in the eighth as Stephenson hit a two-run bomb to left center before Vergantino singled in Granatell from second.

In Game Two, Granatell doubled to right center with one out in the top of the first. Iadisernia then walked and both runners advanced on a wild pitch, but Elon could not take advantage of the opportunity as Stephenson struck out swinging and Cole Reynolds grounded out to second. CofC then pushed across four runs on three hits in its first turn at the plate. With one out and runners on first and second, CofC's JT Marr hit a ball to Carlos Marte at second base. He flipped to Vergantino for the force out, but couldn't get the ball out of his glove as Marr reached on a fielder's choice. The Cougars waved Tyler Sorrentino home on the play, and Vergantino's throw to Stephenson wasn't in time. Marr later attempted a steal and made a swim move around Marte's tag. The play went to review, but the call on the field was upheld. Back-to-back homers from Landon Choboy and Luke Wood then gave the Cougars a 4-0 lead.

Elon got a run back in the top of the fourth as Stephenson doubled down the left-field line and later tagged up on a Vergantino sac fly to center field. However, CofC went up 5-1 in the fifth as Trotter Harlan came around on a Wood ground out to short. The Cougars rounded out the scoring in the eighth as Cam Dean doubled, took third on a sac bunt and scored on a sac fly to center. 
 
NOTES
- Stephenson collected a hit and scored at least once in all four tournament games.
- The Algonac, Mich. native tallied 15 home runs this season, the most by an Elon hitter since Ryan Kinsella finished with 21 in 2013.
- Stephenson hit .353 (6-for-17) with a 1.176 slugging percentage and a .353 on-base percentage for the tournament. He added four home runs, two doubles, six runs and eight RBIs to his totals.
- Elon's 13 runs scored are the most in a conference tournament game since the Phoenix defeated Charleston 18-8 in the 2013 SoCon Championship. It also ties the team's season high.
- UNCW's six errors marked the most by an opponent this season.
- It was the first career start for DiLella.
- Elon's three homers against UNCW tied its season high and was the team's 12th multi-home run game this season.
- Elon went 19-20 at Latham Park this season.