Elon, N.C. The Elon Phoenix baseball team (7-7) fell in the first game of a three-game series with the Northeastern Huskies (10-1) on Friday night by a score of 6-2.

Reliever Spencer Bauer retired the final nine hitters of the game and Justin Cassella led the Phoenix at the plate with a 2-for-4 performance, a double, and a run scored. Tanner Holliman finished with a two-RBI single which plated the Phoenix's only runs of the day.

Northeastern extended its winning streak to nine games with the Huskies having now not lost a contest since Feb. 19. Huskies' hurler Wyatt Scotti gave the visitors seven great innings, allowing only four hits, striking out six and walking none. Danny Crossen finished his evening 3-for-4 on the scorecard finishing with three singles and two runs scored.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Phoenix finished off the Huskies in the top of the first when starter Shea Sprague and catcher Parker Haskin combined for a one-out strike 'em out, throw em' out double play to get the Phoenix out of the inning.
• The first runs of the game would not come until the bottom of the second inning. Following a leadoff single by Luke Stephenson and a double by Justin Cassella, Tanner Holliman would single on a ground ball back up the middle to score both runs, giving the Phoenix a 2-0 lead.
• The Huskies answered almost immediately with an RBI, two-out single by Tyler MacGregor cutting the Phoenix lead in half.
• Northeastern would take its first lead of the game in the top of the fourth. Following a throwing error that scored a run, Gregory Bozzo laced an RBI single to left field that scored Harrison Feinburg to give Northeastern a 3-2 lead.
• The game stayed 3-2 until the top of the sixth when Northeastern hung a trio of runs on the Phoenix. With two runners on and no outs, Shea Sprague was replaced by Spencer Bauer. Following a walk to load the bases, Cam Molonado singled through the left side to score one run, with all runners advancing one base. Following a strikeout by Bauer, Bozzo lined one to left field, scoring another run. A sacrifice fly by Luke Beckstein would plate another Huskies run, giving Northeastern a 6-2 lead.
• Elon would not muster another hit until Cole Reynolds reached on an infield single in the ninth. A deep fly ball by Justin Cassella was hauled in on the warning track, ending the game 6-2 in favor of the Huskies.

NOTES AND STATS

• The Phoenix have now dropped three of the last four all-time meetings with the Huskies dating back to last season.
• In the last three games, the Phoenix has only pushed across three total runs including last season's series loss to the Huskies in Brookline, Mass., where the Phoenix managed just one run combined in the last two contests.
• Outfielder Justin Cassella extended his hitting streak to six games with a 2-for-4 performance including the lone extra base hit for the Phoenix on the night.
• Luke Stephenson rejoined the hit column after an 0-for-4 performance against East Carolina on Tuesday. Stephenson finished 1-for-3. The graduate's batting average now sits at .289.
• Transfer Tanner Holliman plated his fourth and fifth RBI of the season on a one-out single in the bottom of the second and has now hit safely in four of the last five games.
• Shea Sprague picked up his first loss of the season and has still only given up five earned runs in his first four starts. The lefty's ERA now sits at 1.90. Sprague eclipsed the 20-strikeout plateau against Northeastern with five strikeouts to only two walks.
• Reliever Spencer Bauer threw a season high four innings in relief and was near perfect against the Huskies. After relieving Sprague in the sixth, Bauer retired his last nine batters, striking out four and only walking one. Bauer, in his four relief appearances, has now allowed just four hits and his ERA still sits at 0.00.

UP NEXT

• Elon will continue the homestand with the Huskies with a double-header on Saturday with the first game beginning at 1 p.m. and the second game beginning shortly after the conclusion of the first. 
• Fans can listen to both games via the Varsity Network App.