Greensboro, N.C.- Elon University (4-4) hitters combined for 11 hits while Elon pitching struck out 13 UNCG Spartan (5-3) batters to lift the Phoenix to a 6-3 win in Greensboro, Tuesday night.
Liam Dabagian made just the third start of his career but was able to set a new career high in strikeouts with five. The southpaw went three innings, while sophomore
Sam Nomura earned a two-inning save and striking out four.
Three different Phoenix recorded multi-hit games with
Alex Duffey finishing three-for-four with a double and two runs scored.
Ryan Sprock continued to pound the baseball by going two-for-five with a home run and a double in the Elon win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Phoenix jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Elon got two, two-out doubles from Ryan Sprock and Connor Offshack to grab the early lead.
- Dabagian would find himself in an early jam in the bottom half of the first, but a strikeout and then a heads-up double play by Will Vergantino would end the early trouble.
- Elon would go to small ball in the top of the third to bring home another run. Following a leadoff single by James Broderick, Kenny Mallory Jr. would bunt him over. Broderick would score on an RBI groundout from Ryan Sprock to put the Phoenix up 2-0.
- In his last inning of work, Dabagian collected a pair of strikeouts to finish off his evening in style with five punchouts.
- Kenny Mallory Jr. brought home two more runs in the top of the fourth with a two-out, two RBI single which scored Alex Duffey and Tanner Holliman.
- Ryan Sprock added to the total with a solo home run to start off the fifth inning that would give Elon their biggest lead.
- UNCG chopped into the lead with a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth.
- Justin Szestowicki would enter for the Phoenix on the mound for the first time and would give Elon two good innings of scoreless relief to weather the Spartan storm.
- Following a leadoff double from Duffey, the Phoenix would add another run on a Holliman sacrifice fly to add a crucial insurance run.
- Sam Nomura entered in the eighth inning and would end any hope of a UNCG comeback with a pair of strikeouts in each the eighth and ninth inning to earn the save and deliver the victory.
NOTES AND STATS
- Tonight's game with UNCG marked the 1,500 game managed of Mike Kennedy's career. It was also the 840th win of his historic career.
- Liam Dabagian got his third career start on Tuesday and finished with a career high five strikeouts in three innings of work.
- Sam Nomura chalked up his first career save over two innings of work. Nomura entered Tuesday with four punchouts on the season, but leaving Greensboro he has doubled that total to eight.
- Alex Duffey finished with three hits against the Spartans. The three hits in a game are a career high for Duffey and he also hit his first extra-base hit of the season with a double to the right-center field gap.
- Ryan Sprock had his second home run of the season Tuesday and finished with a team high two RBIs. Sprock's RBI total on the season is now 15 which leads the club.
- Connor Offshack continued to find extra-base hits finishing with a double and an RBI on the night.
- Charlie Granatell extended his hitting streak to 12 games dating back to last season.
- The Phoenix have now had double-digit hits in every game so far this season.
- Tyler Johns finished with a career-high two strikeouts out of the bullpen with Christo Garrelts also putting away a pair of batters via the punchout.
UP NEXT
- The Phoenix will return home to Latham Park on Friday to take on the Valpo Beacons. First pitch on Friday will be at 4 P.M.
