Elon, N.C. - The freshman pitching duo of
Ryan Sprock and
Justin Mitrovich combined for 18 strikeouts Saturday as the Elon baseball team (9-7, 2-1 CAA) swept Northeastern (10-3, 1-2 CAA) in a doubleheader by scores of 4-3 (10 innings) and 2-1. Redshirt junior
Tanner Holliman provided the offensive punch, hitting three home runs on the day -- two in the opener and one in game two.
Cole Reynolds finished game one with a walk-off home run to cap the 4-3 win in Saturday's opener. It was the first walk-off home run by the Phoenix since
Alex Iadisernia did the same against the UNCG Spartans last season.
Postgame Interview With Coach Kennedy
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
- Ryan Sprock got the start in game one on the mound, and the freshman completed his first inning of work by striking out two Huskies.
- Northeastern was able to strike first in the top of the second when Luke Beckstein drew a walk with the bases loaded to score the game's first run.
- Elon would quickly answer in the bottom half of the second frame. After Cole Reynolds walked, Justin Cassella would single back up the middle. Although Reynolds was thrown out at third, Tanner Holliman blasted a 2-1 pitch over the center field wall to give the Phoenix a 2-1 lead.
- Northeastern cleanup batter Danny Crossen answered in the next half inning with a rocket of his own. Crossen knocked one over the left field wall to bring the game back even at two.
- Sprock took control for the rest of his outing, retiring ten straight Huskies, striking out eight of them. Sprock finished with 12 punchouts, the most by an Elon freshman since Kyle Brnovich struck out 15 against William & Mary in 2017.
- Holliman would strike again with another home run in the bottom of the fourth, giving Elon the lead once more. That was Holliman's third home run of the season, giving him the team lead.
- Northeastern's Cam Maldonado helped the Huskies answer back again as the right fielder launched a solo home run over the left field wall to tie the score at three.
- The bottom of the ninth had fireworks with the Phoenix coming 90 feet from scoring the winning run in the frame. A Kenny Mallory Jr. single advanced Connor Coolahan to third. After a bobble in the outfield, he attempted to score but was thrown out at home.
- Reynolds did finish the game in the 10th inning. He hit a deep home run to center in the bottom of the inning, giving the Phoenix a bounce-back win after falling in the first game of the series Friday.
Game 2
- Justin Mitrovich climbed the hill for the Phoenix in the nightcap and his infield had his back throughout the outing. Featuring the use of a first inning double play, Mitrovich escaped a first inning jam.
- The Elon offense struck in the bottom of the first as Mallory Jr. led off with a home run. Mallory Jr.'s first homer of his career in the maroon and gold was essentially a back-to-back blast with Cole Reynolds, following his walk-off an hour earlier.
- Connor Coolahan doubled down the left field line to continue the hit parade and Reynolds answered his walk-off home run with a single to give the Phoenix runners on the corners.
- Northeastern starter Aiven Cabral would then find his groove, retiring the next three Elon batters in a row to limit the damage in the first inning to just one run and three hits.
- Mitrovich continued to force weak hits and limit the Northeastern offensive attack to nothing more. Through four innings of work, the freshman added four strike outs.
- Tanner Holliman homered for the third time on the day in the bottom of the fourth inning with a deep shot over the batter's eye in center field. This would give Holliman his fourth of the season.
- Northeastern's attack would catch fire in the seventh inning with back-to-back singles, forcing coach Mike Kennedy to call the veteran Liam Dabagian to the hill.
- Dabagian would get out the jam by retiring Spencer Smith on strikes and forcing a groundout by Alex Lane to keep the shutout intact.
- The lefty continued to deal in the top of the eighth inning retiring the Huskies in order. The Phoenix had no answer for Griffin Young out of the Huskies' bullpen, who pitched three perfect innings in relief.
- Dabagian stayed in for the top of the ninth, but the Huskies loaded the bases with no outs.
- Ben Simon was called to the mound looking for the three-out save. Following a sacrifice fly, Simon struck out the Huskies back-to-back to earn his third save of the year.
NOTES AND STATS
- Tanner Holliman now leads the Phoenix in home runs with four, with three coming in Saturday's double header.
- Cole Reynolds' walk-off home run was the first for the Phoenix since Alex Iadisernia's walk off blast against UNCG last season.
- Ryan Sprock's 12 strikeouts were the most by a Phoenix freshman since Kyle Brnovich struck out 15 William & Mary batters in 2017.
- Justin Mitrovich earned his second win of the season, tying him with Shea Sprague for the most on the team among starters.
- With the win in game one of the doubleheader, assistant Robbie Huffstetler earned his 600th win as a member of the Phoenix coaching staff.
- Catcher Parker Haskin is now batting .300 and secured his tenth multi-hit game as a member of the Phoenix.
- The 35 strikeouts over the weekend series were the most by the Phoenix pitching staff since Elon produced 38 strikeouts against Longwood last season.
- The 26 strikeouts in a double header are the most for the Phoenix in a two-game day since the Phoenix struck out 27 in a same-day set with UNCW in 2019.
- Elon's five home runs as a team are the most in a series this season and are the most in a three-game series since the Phoenix hit six in a series against UNCG a season ago.
- The Phoenix are now 5-2 in rubber matches dating back to last season and are now 2-1 in three-game series this season.
- The Phoenix won their first CAA series of the season for the fourth time in the last five years, and sit 2-1 in the Colonial this.
- Elon now has two walk-off hits this season. Charlie Granatell hit a walk-off single against Quinnipiac in the 10th inning last weekend.
UP NEXT
- Elon will play at NC State Tuesday at 6 p.m. in a game televised on ACCNX/ESPN+.
- The Phoenix will then play a three-game set at Monmouth next weekend.
