Rock Hill, S.C. – Behind a seven-run eighth inning, the Elon baseball team (17-23) bested Winthrop, 10-8 Tuesday night. Elon and Winthrop will split the home-and-home series following an Eagles' win at Latham Park last Tuesday.

The bullpen duo of Sam Nomura and Mike Staiano closed the door on the Eagles Tuesday night. Nomura earned his second win of the season with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief. Staiano collected his fifth save of the season and his third save in a row.

Brian DuRoff continues to stay hot in April. DuRoff collected his 8^th multi-hit performance of the month with a 2-for-4 night. Gar Hindle and Jared Hall continued to swing hot bats as both finished with a pair of extra-base hits.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Winthrop jumped out in front with a run in the first inning and a pair of runs in the second to lead 3-0. 
• Elon answered in the third with two runs of their own. An RBI double from Gar Hindle and an RBI groundout from Charlie Evans cut the deficit to one.
• In the fifth, the Phoenix tied the score at three on a Jared Hall solo home run.
• The Elon bullpen continued to fire up zeros with the trio of Cole Miller, Michael Irby and Cole Hansen holding the Eagles' offense in check.
• Winthrop broke through in the bottom of the seventh with a five-run frame to take an 8-3 lead.
• The Phoenix was equal to the punch and then some with a seven-run eighth inning. A sharp ground ball from Brent Smith forced an error from Winthrop's defense, which allowed two runs to score. A sacrifice fly from Vince Fattore brought the lead back to just two. In a pinch-hit role, Gavin Bogdanchik tied the score with an RBI double that just stayed inside the left field foul line. Jackson Alford gave the Phoenix the lead for good with a double to left field that scored Bogdanchik. Hall added insurance with a double of his own to give the Phoenix a 10-8 lead.
• The combination of Nomura and Staiano shut down the Winthrop offense in the eighth and ninth innings to secure the Elon win.

 
QUICK HITS

• The Phoenix picked up their third win over a top 85 RPI team in the last five days, Tuesday night.
• Elon's win over Winthrop is the first road midweek win for the Phoenix since their 2-0 win over #10 NC State.
• Brian DuRoff continues to swing a hot, April bat. On Tuesday, DuRoff finished 2-for-4 on Tuesday with a double and two runs scored. DuRoff collected his 16^th double of the season, tied for the most by an Elon player in the decade of the 2020s.
• Jared Hall homered in his second straight game on Tuesday. Hall has homered four times in April and added another double to his extra-base hit tally.
• Gar Hindle doubled twice in the win. Hindle raised his average to .349 (15-for-43) in the month of April after a 2-for-3 night.
• Jackson Alford hit the go-ahead double in the eighth inning Tuesday night. Alford stole his 28^th base of the season and is now in the top 10 for stolen bases in a season by a Phoenix.
• Gavin Bogdanchik had a pinch-hit, two-RBI double in the win.
• Mike Staiano collected his fifth save of the season. Staiano needed just six pitches in the ninth to close out the Eagles. 
• Michael Irby made his first appearance for the Phoenix after battling an injury this season. Irby needed just nine pitches to retire the Eagles in order in the fourth inning.
• Cole Hansen had his best relief outing of the season. Hansen threw two innings of no run ball while striking out three.

 
UP NEXT
Elon returns home to face UNCW in a CAA weekend series. First pitch on Friday between the Phoenix and Seahawks is at 6 p.m.