ELON, N.C. – Senior first baseman
Kenny Mallory Jr. and the rest of the Elon University baseball team's offense had one goal in mind after freshman starter
Hank Krift put up a quick zero in the top of the first: to strike first against the Brown Bears.
The team did just that, scoring two runs on two hits in the bottom of the frame.
"We jumped on em real early, scored two in the first, so it's always great to grab the lead first and just keep the momentum on our side," Mallory Jr. said.
Batting second, Mallory Jr. earned the first hit of the game as he sent a single in the gap past the diving first baseman.
Two pitches later, he stole second base to put himself in scoring position. But he wasn't done yet wreaking havoc on the base paths, as he advanced to third on the very next pitch after it bounced in the dirt.
It was his fourth stolen base of the season, which leads the team. Only 10 games into the season, he is nearing his six total stolen bases from last year, which he did in 53 games.
Mallory Jr. was also the first runner to cross home plate, scoring off of redshirt junior catcher Alex Duffey's two RBI double.
"It's so important to get that first run of the game," Mallory Jr. said. "The guys in the dugout enjoy it and it gives us more confidence as we go throughout the game. It's very important for us to get that first run before the other team does."
Elon, however, didn't stop there. Up 3-0 with one out and runners on the corners in the bottom of the second, Mallory Jr. scorched a bases-clearing double into right field for his second hit of the day.
"I've been on a little struggle here recently, so it felt great to finally barrel a ball and see it fall and to bring in some teammates for sure," Mallory Jr. said.
Mallory Jr. added another hit in the bottom of the fourth, leading the Phoenix with three total hits as the team soared to an 8-4 win over Brown.
It was another successful day offensively, as the team collected 12 hits altogether. Each member of the starting lineup reached base safely and Mallory Jr. was one of four Phoenix bats with a multi-hit game.
"We just make contact and we put pressure on them," Mallory Jr. said. "When you put the ball in play, good things happen. We were swinging at really good pitches throughout the day so that was really important for all of us to get back to what we do best."
Elon will look to complete the sweep over Brown with the series finale on Sunday, March 2 at 1 p.m.
"It's another day," Mallory Jr. said. "It's baseball and anything can happen, so we've got to come back focused and ready to go, because they'll be ready to take one."
'Rising Phoenix' is a student-led initiative to cover Elon Athletics. Through innovative content creation and storytelling, Elon University students will have the opportunity to highlight the moments, people and events that make an impact, leveraging the athletic department's various web and social media platforms for distribution. Follow Rising Phoenix on X (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Chase Strawser at cstrawser@elon.edu.
--ELON--
