Elon Baseball Drops Series Finale at William & Mary

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Lucas Bakker carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and allowed just two hits, but the William & Mary Tribe took advantage of five Elon errors to down the Phoenix 4-3 in the rubber match of a three-game Colonial Athletic Association series on Sunday, March 29.

Elon (12-14, 4-2 CAA) trailed 3-2 heading to the ninth inning when James Venuto drilled a 1-0 pitch over the fence in center to tie it to lead off the inning.

The Tribe (12-11, 4-2) got its leadoff hitter aboard when a fly ball was dropped. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second and a fly out to center put the Phoenix just one out from heading to extra innings. A hard grounder to second looked like it would do just that, but the ball was misplayed and the runner on second raced around to score the winning run.

Bakker went 7.2 innings and did not get a decision. He struck out five and was charged with three runs, two of which were earned. Elon’s last two-hitter came on March 13, 2014, when Bakker went the distance in a victory over Georgia Southern.

The Phoenix, which stranded 14 runners, threatened to blow the game open at multiple times. Elon had runners on the corners with no outs in the first, but could not score. In the second, the maroon and gold loaded the bases with one out, but the next two hitters struck out. The Phoenix again loaded the bases in the third and took a 1-0 lead when Andy Moore drew a walk to force home the game’s first run.

William & Mary tied it at one in the last of the fifth when a throw to second on a stolen base attempt allowed the runner to end up at third was followed by another fielding error.

With bases loaded and two outs in the sixth, Ryan Cooper drew a walk to put the Phoenix in front by a 2-1 margin.

The Tribe knotted it back up in the seventh. After leadoff walk, Tim Hoehn doubled off the fence in left-center to put two aboard. It was the first hit allowed by the Bakker in the game. After a strike out, William & Mary used a squeeze bunt to plate the tying run.

Elon would again threaten in the eighth as Quinn Bower and Nick Zammarelli began the inning with singles. A sac bunt advanced both runners, but the Tribe escaped with a shallow fly out and a pop up. With two outs and runners on the corners in the last of the eighth, Devin White lined a ball up the middle to tie it at three.

Joe McGillicuddy (0-2) was tagged with the loss after allowing one unearned run without giving up a hit in an inning of work.

Charlie Fletcher (3-0) picked up the win. He went two innings and allowed one run on one hit.

Elon’s offense finished the day with eight hits, including three from Zammarelli and two from Venuto. Moore saw his hitting streak end at seven games, matching a career long.

The Phoenix returns home to take on North Carolina on Tuesday night. First pitch at Latham Park is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

                 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Elon             0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 8 5
William & Mary   0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 4 2 1

Win – Fletcher (3-0).
Loss – McGillicuddy (0-2).
Save – None.
Umpires – HP: Tyler Simpson 1B: David Speaks 3B: Clint Lawson
Start: 1:00 pm
Time: 3:07
Attendance: 221
Weather: Sunny, 41 deg., Winds: NW8