Elon, N.C.- Junior starting pitcher, Justin Mitrovich, threw the best game of his career on Saturday in Elon's (12-22, 4-7 CAA) Saturday, doubleheader split with Towson (13-22, 5-6 CAA). Mitrovich threw an eight-inning, three hit shutout to give the Phoenix a game one win in the doubleheader.
 
 Alex Duffey and Jackson Alford both swung hot bats over the course of the two games. Duffey added his third, multi-hit game in a row with a pair of two-hit games on Saturday and a pair of RBI. Alford had his second multi-home run game of the season in game one which included a home run in the eighth to send Elon home with a run rule victory.
 
Game One

• Justin Mitrovich made his ninth, Friday night start and began the opening game with a quick seven pitch first inning.
• Much like they have done all season, the Elon offense struck early and hard in the opening game. Following a leadoff double from Jackson Alford, a Ryan Sprock triple to right field scored Alford easily as he and Sprock traded places. Alex Duffey drove in Sprock with a laced single into left center to make it 2-0. A Kenny Mallory Jr. single made it 3-0 by the end of the first inning to provide cushion for Mitrovich.
• Elon added more insurance in the bottom of the second with an RBI double from Charlie Granatell which plated another run.
• Mitrovich was cruising through the first three frames. Between the top of the second and third innings, Mitrovich struck out five of the six batters he faced as he worked through the Towson order at a minimum.
• With Mitrovich dealing, the Phoenix added another crooked inning with four runs in the bottom of the sixth. After a Mallory walk, Justin Szestowicki doubled into left to put runners in scoring position for Tank Yaghoubi. A wild pitch scored Mallory and a double from Yaghoubi scored Szestowicki to make it 6-0. Jackson Alford took the first pitch he saw in the sixth inning and scrapped it over the center field wall for his first homer of the day.
• Another Mallory RBI single in the seventh added the ninth run of the game before Jackson Alford stepped to the plate as the leadoff batter in the eighth. Alford took the second pitch of the at bat over the left field wall to bring the lead to ten and end the game with a 10-0 win for the Phoenix.

 
Game Two

• Nolan Straniero got the start for Elon in the second game of the doubleheader, and he came out hot. Straniero struck out two batters in the first inning to get the ball into Elon's court.
• Elon took advantage in the first and jumped on the Tigers. Back-to-back singles from Alford and Granatell put runners on the corners with no outs. Alex Duffey delivered again with a laced single into center field to bring home run and give the Phoenix the early lead.
• Towson would not go quietly an responded with five unanswered runs going into the bottom of the fourth inning. Elon halved the deficit with a pair of unearned runs to bring the game to 5-3.
• The Tigers responded once again with four runs to make up the runs lost and then some. The Phoenix responded with two more runs off a Troy McGirt single and a Jackson Alford double to get within four again.
• After the Elon runs in the fifth, Towson blew the game open with 14 unanswered runs across the sixth and seventh innings and won the game going away, 23-5.

 
Notes and Stats

• The Phoenix now stands at 12-22 on the season with a 4-7 record in the CAA. Elon sits just one game back of a tie for fifth place with five other CAA opponents.
• Justin Mitrovich collected his first career, solo shutout in the game one win over Towson. In 101 pitches, Mitrovich dominated over the course of eight innings, allowing just three singles and striking out seven while walking one. It is a new career high in innings for Mitrovich and marked the second straight complete game shutout for the Phoenix in CAA play.
• Jackson Alford finished his doubleheader day 5-for-9 with four runs scored, four extra-base hits including two home runs, and four RBI. His multi-homer game is his second of the season. Alford becomes the fourth Phoenix in the last four seasons with multiple multi-homer games in a season: Vergantino (2024), Cassella (2023), Stephenson (2022).
• Alex Duffey continues to see his batting average tick up after another multi-hit game, his third in a row. In the doubleheader, Duffey finished 4-for-7 with two RBI. His RBI tally now surpasses his total from last year with 19 games to play.
• Kenny Mallory Jr. put together a three-hit game in game one with three singles and two RBI.
• Charlie Granatell hit his 51^st career double in the game one win over Towson. With his 51^st double, Granatell moves solely into second place on the all-time doubles list in Elon history.
• Justin Szestowicki and Tank Yaghoubi both collected hits in both games of the doubleheader on Saturday.
• Ryan Sprock hit his first career triple on Saturday and drove in two runs over the two games.

 
Up Next
The Phoenix returns to Latham Park for game four of their five game homestand tomorrow. Tomorrow's rubber match against the Tigers will begin at 1 PM.