ELON, N.C. – After dropping Game One of Sunday’s doubleheader 2-1 at Latham Park, Elon University baseball responded with a 2-1 win in extras as Anthony Galason hit a walk-off double in the bottom of the 11th inning.
GAME ONE BOX SCORE | FINAL RESULTS
GAME TWO BOX SCORE | FINAL RESULTS
Brandon Justice took the loss in the first game after giving up the decisive run on two hits. The senior recorded one strikeout in 1.0 inning of relief. Starter George Kirby gave up one unearned run and tallied nine punch outs in 5.0 complete innings. Dean McCarthythrew the other inning, did not give up a hit, and fanned one. Joe Satterfield and Cam Devanney both went 1-for-3 for Elon’s only hits.
Ty Adcock earned the win in Game Two after throwing 3.2 scoreless innings with six strikeouts. Jared Wetherbee gave up one run on six hits and a walk in the no decision. He sat down 10 opposing batters in 7.1 innings of work. Galason batted 2-or-5 with a double and drove in both of the team’s runs. Tyler Cranstonalso had a multi-hit game with a 2-for-4 effort at the plate and one run scored. Devanney hit 1-for-3 while Tyler Stanley and Adam Spurlin went 1-for-4.
How It Happened (Game One): The Phoenix (30-22, 19-5 CAA) struck first with its lone run in the fourth. After Galason reached on a fielding error by the UNCW third baseman, Satterfield moved him to third on a single through the right side. Devanney then grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, but Galason came home on the play.
The Seahawks (26-27, 10-11) answered with a tally in the fifth. A leadoff double to right and a sacrifice bunt placed a runner on third. Kirby struck out the next batter, but the ball got past Cicci as the visitors pulled even on the passed ball. UNCW then took the lead in the sixth thanks to a leadoff triple and a single to the gap in left.
How It Happened (Game Two): UNCW went ahead 1-0 in the top half of the first. A leadoff walk, sac bunt, and a hit to right moved the runner to third. Elon looked to turn the double play, but the batter beat out the throw and the runner came around.
Elon struggled to produce for the majority of the game. Down to its final three outs, Cranston got the offense started with a leadoff single to left. Stanley then laid down the sac bunt before Galason smacked a 3-1 pitch back up the middle to knot the game at 1-1. Satterfield was intentionally walked and Devanney grounded out to short to move the runners into scoring position, but UNCW secured an Adcock fly out to center to force extras.
In the 11th, Stanley beat out a slow roller to third and proceeded to steal second base. Galason then doubled down the right-field line to seal the come-from-behind victory.
Notes: Devanney extended his hit streak to 20 games and his on base streak to 25 games…Elon was not swept by a CAA opponent this season…UNCW is still ahead in the all-time series, 40-30…This was Elon’s sixth doubleheader of the season…the Phoenix finishes the regular season with a win for the third year in a row…Nick Cicci had quite the day behind the plate. Through both games, the junior catcher caught three baserunners trying to steal and also picked off a runner at third…Stanley swiped a bag in both games to improve to 25-for-28 this season.
On Deck: Elon has 11 days off before its first game in the 2019 CAA Championship in Harrisonburg, Va. As the top seed, the Phoenix will play on Thursday, May 23 and will face the lowest seeded team in the winners bracket following the Games One and Two. James Madison is hosting the tournament at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park.