Mt. Pleasant, S.C.- In his final collegiate game, senior Charlie Granatell further etched his name into the Elon record book and cemented his name at the top of the career doubles list. A sixth inning double took down the 23-year-old record, but was not enough to take down Charleston, as the Elon Phoenix (25-32) fell in the CAA Championship to the College of Charleston Cougars (36-21).
 
The matchup with the Cougars marked the 11^th straight conference tournament for the Phoenix where they have faced the Cougars. Elon knocked out the Cougars from the 2023 Championship on the same field, but Charleston returned the favor in 2025 with a 4-2 win.
 
How It Happened

• Charleston would get to Elon starter Nolan Straniero early with a trio of runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 3-0 lead.
• Both starting pitchers would settle in during the second inning with both throwing clean frames.
• Elon was able to find their first hits and run of the game in the third. A leadoff single from Will Vergantino was the first knock of the game for the Phoenix. Vergantino advanced to second base on a failed pickoff attempt which got him to second base. Justin Szestowicki singled back up the middle on the first pitch he saw to cut into the Charleston lead.
• The Cougars answered back in the bottom half of the inning with a solo home run to get the run back.
• Both pitchers continued to roll in the fourth and fifth innings, with the combination of Straniero and Itai Spinoza retiring three straight batters in the fifth.
• Charlie Granatell found his name at the top of the record book after a double in the sixth gave him 56 career doubles.
• Spinoza and Hank Krift continued to keep Elon in it on the mound. Krift would relieve Spinoza in the seventh and got a big strikeout with the bases loaded to keep the Cougar lead at three.
• Elon chipped away in the eighth following back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. Alex Duffey was able to drive in one of the runs on an RBI groundout but runner on the corners would be stranded after the third out.
• Elon was not able to bring home the tying run in the ninth and saw their CAA Championship hopes come up short after three games in Mt. Pleasant.

 
Notes and Stats

• Elon finishes the season with a 25-32 record. The 57 games are the most played by the Phoenix in a season since 2019.   
• Charlie Granatell hit his 56^th career double in the win over the Cougars. The double puts Granatell first on Elon's career doubles list as Granatell surpasses Whit Bryant for first all-time. Granatell finished his season with 14 doubles, which is the number a player would have to average over four seasons to tie Granatell's record. The Franklin Lakes, N.J. native finishes his career with 213 games appeared in and 208 starts. A career .292 hitter, he finishes out with 236 career hits, and 139 runs scored over 807 at-bats.
• Ryan Sprock finished out his 2025 season with 71 hits on the season. The 71 hits are the most in a season since Ryne Ogren had 74 in 2018.
• Alex Duffey drove in one of the two runs in the loss to the Cougars. Duffey closed out his season leading the team in both batting average and RBIs. Duffey hit .349 and drove in a team high 54 runs.
• Mike Kennedy completes his 29^th season as head coach of the Elon baseball program with 882 career wins. The 25 wins this season marks the 24^th time the Phoenix have surpassed the 25-win mark under Coach Kennedy.