Elon, N.C.- Despite an early 3-0 lead, the Elon Phoenix (1-2) could not hold on to defeat the Navy Midshipmen (2-1) Sunday afternoon. Elon would put together a ninth inning rally that saw the winning run come to the plate, but the final of 9-7 would see the Phoenix fall to 1-2 on the young season.  
 
In his first start of the season, Kenny Mallory Jr. shined. Mallory Jr. finished with a career high four hits, going four-for-five with two runs scored, two doubles and an RBI. Charlie Granatell continued his hot start to the season finishing his third straight game with at least three hits, going three-for-five with three runs scored and two RBIs.
 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 

• Henry Cone got the first start of his career in the maroon and gold having previously made two starts at Baylor.
• Cone would get out of an early first inning jam with a swing & miss slider to retire Brock Murtha and leave two runners stranded.
• Following 12 runs in the first three half innings yesterday, Cone and Navy starter Jackson Beattie kept the hot bats quiet through the first few frames.
• Elon would strike first in the bottom of the third following a Mallory Jr. leadoff single. Charlie Granatell would hit a high flyball down the left field line that would strike the top of the wall and score Mallory Jr. from first. Granatell would come around to score on a Shane Paradine RBI ground out.
• Tate Ostrowski would come in for Cone in the top of the third and would use two double plays to keep Navy off the scoreboard. The combination of James Broderick and Tanner Holliman would turn a pair of double plays in the second and fifth innings.
• Navy would strike in the sixth for five runs and get two following an RBI triple from Brock Murtha. A Mac McCommons single would bring home the final two runs of the inning giving the Midshipmen a 5-3 lead.
• The Mids would score three more runs in the top of the seventh, but Sam Nomura would limit the damage with back-to-back strikeouts.
• Mallory Jr. and Granatell would follow that up with back-to-back doubles to begin the seventh. Following a Ryan Sprock single, the Phoenix would have runners on second and third with no outs, but only could manage another run on a Connor Offshack sacrifice fly.
• Following another run in the ninth, the Phoenix would have three outs to work with down four runs. Granatell would start the inning with a single up the middle and Ryan Sprock would bring him home on a double the following at-bat. Paradine would single to left which brought Sprock around to score and the deficit was halved with no outs. Following a single from Vince Fattore, the winning run could come to the plate, but the Phoenix could not bring another run across.

 
NOTES AND STATS
 

• Henry Cone got the start for the Phoenix; it was his first start on the mound for the maroon and gold.
• Kenny Mallory Jr. had his most productive day at the plate as a member of the Phoenix Sunday. His four hits are the most in a game for Mallory as a Phoenix, with his previous high being two.
• Charlie Granatell had his best weekend series as a Phoenix. Granatell finished the series 10-for-15 at the plate with three doubles, four RBIs and seven runs scored.
• Ryan Sprock is proving to be a constant threat at the plate. Sprock finished the day 2-for-4 with a run scored and his third double of the year.
• Mallory Jr. and Granatell combined for four doubles on the day. Elon finished the series with 14 extra-base hits.
• Vince Fattore finished with his first multi-hit game of his college career. Fattore finished three-for-five Sunday afternoon and finished with five hits in the series.
• In the series, the Phoenix produced nine multi-RBI games with both Offshack and Fattore producing games with four RBIs.
• Fattore, Granatell and Sprock had a hit in all three games of the series opening their season with three-game hitting streaks.
• Seven different Phoenix concluded the series with multi-hit games with Granatell and Mallory Jr. each having a four-hit day.
• Elon's 42 hits in an opening series are the most for the Phoenix since the 2015 season.
• Elon's 30 runs are the most in an opening series since the Phoenix put up 34 runs against Penn State to open the 2015 season.
• Elon now trails the all-time series with Navy, 2-3.

 
UP NEXT
 

• Elon will hit the road for the first time on Tuesday afternoon as they travel to UNC in Chapel Hill. First pitch against the Tar Heels is scheduled for 4 P.M.