Elon Baseball Falls 5-3 in Series Finale

ELON, N.C. – The No. 30 College of Charleston avoided a sweep at the hands of the Elon University baseball team after earning a 5-3 victory in a back-and-forth Colonial Athletic Association affair at Latham Park on Sunday, April 1.

Box Score | Play-by-Play

Elon (16-12, 4-2 CAA) saw Ryne Ogren homer and drive in a pair of runs during a 2-for-4 day at the plate.

On the mound, Brandon Justice (0-1) took his first loss of the season after surrendering two runs on four hits in 1.1 innings. Elon starter Ryan Conroy allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits over 6.0 innings.

For Charleston (21-8, 4-2 CAA), Luke Morgan went 3-for-5 with a double and one RBI, while Bradley Dixon drove in two with a 2-for-5 day at the plate.

Reliever Clay Hunt (3-0) garnered the win after he allowed one run on one hit in his 2.0 innings of work. Nathan Ocker picked up his sixth save by tossing 3.0 scoreless innings.

How It Happened: With the game tied at three after six innings, Charleston got back-to-back singles from Dupree Hart and Morgan to start the seventh. The Cougars would load the bases on a one-out walk before Justice recorded the second out with a strikeout. Dixon was then able to reach for an 0-2 pitch and got just enough of it to send it to center for a two-RBI single that made it a 5-3 game.

Elon would get the winning run to the plate in the last of the ninth as Joe Satterfield and Hayden Platt both walked, the later with one out. Ocker was able to seal the win as he struck out the next two hitters.

Charleston took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Luke Manzo put down a safety squeeze with runners on the corners. Elon would tie it in the third when Liam O’Regan scored on a double play.

The Phoenix moved in front, 2-1, when Josh Broughton scored from second on an Ogren single.

The Cougars then evened things back up in the fifth with an unearned run and went in front on Manzo’s ground out in the sixth by a 3-2 margin.

Elon quickly tied it back up as Ogren drove the second pitch of the bottom of the sixth deep over the wall in left for his second home run of the year.

Notes: Satterfield has reached safely in 18 straight contests… Charleston’s leadoff hitter reached in six out of the nine innings.

On Deck: Elon will go on the road for its next four games. The road swing begins on Tuesday, April 3, with a 6 p.m. contest at High Point.