Elon Baseball Falls Late to Northeastern

ELON, N.C. – The Northeastern Huskies were able to take advantage of a strong wind blowing out to left and connected on three homers to defeat the Elon Phoenix 7-5 at Latham Park on Saturday, April 4.

With the game even at five heading to the eighth, the Huskies (11-17, 4-4 Colonial Athletic Association) got a leadoff double from Rob Fonseca. Two batters later, Fonseca scored the go-ahead run on a Cam Hanley single. Northeastern added another in the ninth when Maxwell Burt hit a homer to left.

Elon (13-16, 5-3) got on the board first when Chris King, who had started the second with a double, scored on an Andy Moore sacrifice fly.

Northeastern would go in front 2-1 on a wind-aided homer from Pat Madigan in the fourth and extend its lead to 5-1 with a three-run shot to left by Fonseca an inning later.

The Phoenix would rally to knot the game at five. Elon got a pair in the last of the fifth. With runners on first and second with one away, Nick Zammarelli singled home Danny Lynch. Kory Shumate then scored to make it 5-3 on a Casey Jones single, but the Phoenix would end up stranding two in the frame. In the sixth, the maroon and gold had the bases loaded with two outs when Zammarelli reached on an infield single to make it 5-4. A fielding error would allow the Phoenix to tie the contest at five before the third out was recorded and Elon left three aboard.

Elon out-hit Northeastern 9-7 and got multi-hit days from both Zammarelli (2-for-5) and Lynch (2-for-4).

Chris Hall (0-3) took the loss as he allowed one run on two hits in an inning of work. Elon starter Michael Elefante went six innings and was charged with five runs, only two of which were earned. He struck out six.

The win went to Northeastern reliever Aaron Civale (3-2) who tossed 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out four.

The rubber match of this three-game series will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon at Latham Park.