Hempstead, N.Y.- The Elon Phoenix (22-25, 11-9 CAA) delivered what could be their grittiest win of the season on Saturday. After leading game two 13-4 in the fourth inning, the Hofstra Pride (14-33, 4-16 CAA) led a furious comeback and scored 13 unanswered runs to take a four-run lead into the last three innings. Elon would answer with five runs across the seventh and eighth innings to take back the lead and take the game, 18-17.
 
The Phoenix bats were hot from the jump and produced 21 hits against the Pride. Seven different players produced multi-hit games with Ryan Sprock, Kenny Mallory Jr. and Justin Szestowicki leading the charge. Ryan Sprock continued his scorching hot CAA stretch with two home runs in the win. Mallory finished with a team-high four hits, drove in three runs and scored three runs. Justin Szestowicki had the finest game of his collegiate career against Hofstra. Szestowicki finished with three hits, a home run, triple, three runs scored and a team, season high six RBI.
 
Owen Winebarger and Sam Nomura slammed the door on the Pride hitting with a clean final three innings. Winebarger gets credit with his third win of the season and Sam Nomura clinched the win with a two-inning save.
 
How It Happened

• The Phoenix started quick as Ryan Sprock continued his torrid power surge in conference play. Sprock got the scoring started with a solo home run in the top of the first to give Elon a one-run lead.
• Hofstra countered with two of their own in the first to snatch a 2-1 lead.
• Elon's offense continued to put pressure on the Pride in the second. An RBI single from Mallory and a two-run home run by Justin Szestowicki directly after Mallory's single put three more runs on the board.
• The Pride answered with two runs in the second to tie the game at four after two innings.
• The Phoenix bats blew the game open in the third and fourth inning. Another Sprock solo home run gave Elon the lead back while the combination of Mallory and Szestowicki was at it again. Each drove in another run in the inning to give Elon a 7-4 lead after three.
• In the fourth, Elon jumped on Hofstra's relivers and took command. Elon added five RBI singles in the inning and plated six runs. The back half of the lineup did the damage with the first run coming off the bat of Will Vergantino on an RBI single. Charlie Granatell joined the RBI party with a sacrifice fly to make the game 9-4. Four straight RBI singles from Mallory, Szestowicki, Hajdu and Alford brought home four more runs with no outs being recorded. After the onslaught the Phoenix led 13-4 after three-and-a-half innings.
• The Pride did not roll over in the bottom of the fourth, instead Hofstra got right back into the game with an eight-spot in the inning to trim the lead to one.
• Hofstra used the momentum to take a two-run lead after five innings with three more runs in the fifth.
• The Pride added two more in the sixth off their first home run of the series to take a 17-13 going into the final three innings.
• The Phoenix offense awoke again in the final three frames to take back the game. After 13 unanswered runs from Hofstra, Elon chipped away in the seventh with a fielder's choice from Ryan Sprock scoring a run to make it a three-run game heading into the "Seventh Inning Stretch".
• In the eighth, Elon took back the lead. Szestowicki made himself the man of the moment with a two-RBI triple to score both Granatell and Mallory to bring Elon within one run and 90-feet from tying the game. Troy McGirt pinch hit and did his job with a groundball to shortstop, which was enough to bring Szestowicki home and tie the score. The Phoenix offense was not done in the eighth as Jackson Alford hit a no-doubt, solo home run to give Elon a one-run lead headed into the bottom of the inning.
• Sam Nomura took the stage in the eighth with a clean frame to get the Phoenix to the ninth with a one-run lead.
• After the Phoenix offense finished its day, Nomura took the ball again and struck out two batters in the ninth to slam the door on the Pride and give Elon a comeback win, and cement Elon into fourth place in the CAA.

 
Notes and Stats

• Elon improves to 22-25 on the season and 11-9 in CAA play.   
• With the win, Elon moves into sole possession of fourth place in the CAA with an 11-9 record. UNCW sits one spot above the Phoenix and a win against Hofstra tomorrow would put the Phoenix within a game of third place.
• Elon has been on a tear in recent CAA play and has won six of its last seven conference games. Five straight wins have taken the Phoenix from 10^th in the standings at 6-9 to fourth at 11-9.
• Justin Szestowicki had a career day at the plate against Hofstra. On Saturday, Szestowicki finished 3-for-4 with; a home run, triple, six RBI, and three runs scored. His hit and RBI totals are both career bests for a single game.
• Ryan Sprock kept up his hot bat from yesterday with a multi-home run game. This is Sprock's second career multi-home run game and first since his freshman year against Monmouth. Sprock now has 28 home runs in his Elon career which puts him just one away from entering Elon's top 10 list for home runs in a career.
• Kenny Mallory continued his hot form over the last three games with his first four-hit game of the season. Over his last three games, Mallory has been red hot with: nine hits, two extra-base hits, six RBI and five runs scored.
• Charlie Granatell added a three-hit game for the Phoenix and the second triple of his season in the win. Granatell scored two runs and drove in a run as well.
• Jackson Alford hit the longest home run for the Phoenix this season on his go-ahead, no doubt shot in the eighth. Alford turned on an inside fastball and took it some 425 feet over the left center field fence.
• Will Vergantino finished with a three-hit afternoon as well for Elon. Vergantino scored twice in the win and drove in a run. With a double, Vergantino now has ten doubles on the season which marks the first time he has reached double figures for doubles in a season.
• Alex Duffey put together another multi-hit performance in the win over Hofstra. In the 20 CAA games Elon has played thus far, Duffey has a multi-hit game in 12 of them.
• Owen Winebarger picked up his third win of the season with an inning of scoreless relief. His three wins are the most by a Phoenix freshman since 2023.
• Sam Nomura picked up his second save of the season and the fifth save over his last two seasons.
• Elon has become a two-base machine this season with five players collecting ten doubles or more. The Phoenix has five players with ten doubles or more in a season for the first time since 2016.

 
Up Next
The Phoenix looks to come back to North Carolina with a second consecutive CAA series sweep. Game three against the Pride will start tomorrow at noon.