Elon, N.C.- Entering today's game, Elon first baseman Kenny Mallory Jr. had struggled to find knocks in the batter's box. The Elon senior found plenty in Elon's (4-6) 8-4 win over the Brown Bears (0-6).
 
Mallory Jr. earned a trio of hits with two singles and a double in the victory over the Bears. Will Vergantino piled on two extra-base hits, a triple and a double, in two at bats in the Saturday win. Captain Charlie Granatell and Jackson Alford also delivered multi-hit games in the win.
 
Hank Krift earned his first win as a member of the Phoenix and set a career best in innings pitched and no walks. Carson Wehner picked up his first save of the season with two innings of no run ball to close out the Elon victory.
 
 
How It Happened

• The Phoenix jumped on Brown early with two runs in the first inning. After a single and heads up base running from Kenny Mallory Jr., Ryan Sprock would draw a walk. Following the walk, Alex Duffey laced a double into the left-center field gap which scored both runners on base and give the Phoenix a 2-0 lead.
• After another clean inning from Hank Krift, a leadoff triple from Will Vergantino and a Charlie Granatell single would score another Elon run. A single from Jackson Alford would add another runner on base before Mallory Jr. golfed a double into right field which put up two more runs for the Phoenix.
• Tank Yaghoubi continued to play complimentary baseball in the third. After a sacrifice bunt in the second, Yaghoubi contributed a sacrifice fly and Will Vergantino would score on the fly ball.
• Brown added two runs in the top of the fourth on a two-run home run to cut into the Elon lead, but Hank Krift would continue to be in control.
• Back-to-back strikeouts to end the fourth and begin the fifth would get Krift in a groove as the Bears went three up, three down in the fifth.
• In the bottom of the fifth, a trio of singles from Yaghoubi, Alford and ultimately Ryan Sprock would bring home Yaghoubi, adding another run to the lead.
• Krift retired two batters in the sixth before being pulled. Brown would add another two runs on a home run to cut into the deficit further.
• After surrendering a home run, Mike Staiano would settle in and retire two straight batters to retire the Bears in the seventh.
• Carson Wehner would come in at the top of the eighth inning and make quick work of the Bears offense in the penultimate frame.
• Four straight walks in the bottom of the eighth brought home another run with freshman Jake Hajdu bringing in the run that extended the lead back to four.
• A clean top of the ninth from Wehner would seal the series victory for the Phoenix and their second consecutive win.

 
Notes and Stats

• The Phoenix improves to 4-6 on the season after the game two victory. The victory Saturday marks the first back-to-back wins for the Phoenix this season.
• Elon batters have had at least ten hits in three of the last four games. Elon is 4-2 on the season when having ten hits or more.
• Kenny Mallory Jr. delivered his first three-hit game of the season and the sixth three-hit game of his Elon career.
• Jackson Alford put together the sixth multi-hit game of his season the most on the Phoenix.
• Alex Duffey drove in multiple runs for the fourth time this season and in the second straight game.
• Will Vergantino had two extra-base hits in two at-bats on Saturday. Vergantino tripled, doubled, scored two runs and stole a base in the win.
• Elon drew a season high ten walks in the win over Brown.
• Hank Krift earned his first victory as a member of the Phoenix and had the longest outing of his young career at 5.2 innings. He walked a career low zero batters and struck out four.
• Carson Wehner got the first save of the season by going two innings, allowing just two hits and striking out a batter.

 
Up Next
The Phoenix will return to Latham Park tomorrow afternoon for game three of the weekend series. First pitch with the Bears will be at 1 PM.