Matt Chastain (10-2) earned his 10th win of the season with the victory, hurling 8.0 innings while giving up just eight hits. The 10th win obtained by Chastain leaves him as the fifth pitcher in the Elon annals to win 10 or more games and the first since 1987 when Chris Cole won 11.
The Phoenix’s victory marks the first time that they commenced the tournament 2-0 and sets up a match-up in the winner’s bracket final with second-seeded College of Charleston at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 25 at Riley Park. The Citadel will square off with seventh-seeded UNC Greensboro in an elimination game at 1 p.m. on Friday.
Elon leadoff hitter Donny Jobe acquired the contests first run and a 1-0 lead for the Phoenix in the top of the fourth inning. Jobe doubled to left field to send leftfielder Chris Price homeward.
In the top of the sixth inning Elon put the game out of reach for The Citadel by placing a five spot on the scoreboard. With the bases jammed and one out, Elon third baseman Adam Weaver hit a double that hit off the scoreboard in left to plate Paul Bennett and Ryan Radford. The double by Weaver left two Phoenix on base in Donny Jobe - who originally was the final player put on base to load the bases for Elon after being pelted by The Citadel starting pitcher Ryan Owens – and Weaver. Batting in the third spot, Elon designated hitter Robert Rodebaugh doubled to the warning track in right centerfield to score Weaver and Jobe. The Elon onslaught in the inning did not stop there, as two batters later Phoenix catcher Grant Rembert singled off Bulldog relief pitcher Sonny Meade, who had replaced Owens one batter earlier, to garner Elon a commanding 6-0 advantage at the conclusion of the top of the sixth inning.
After the Phoenix secured two more runs in the top of the seventh to go up 8-0, the Bulldogs were able to procure their first two runs of the game in the bottom of the frame. The Citadel’s first run was scored after an error by Jobe at second base that allowed Matt Matulia to score and make the game 8-1. The second run was scored when Matt Arnold was able to trot home after Elon chalked up two outs on a fielder’s choice double play, making the game 8-2.
Elon entered into the final stanza with a 9-2 lead and added three more as Grant Rembert hit his ninth home run of the campaign, a three-run shot, to give the Phoenix a double-digit lead at 12-2.
The Citadel placed the final run of the game in the bottom of the ninth on a Matt Covington RBI to set the game at the final score of 12-3.
-- ELON -- Game Box Score
