Elon University Weekend Athletics Update

Lynch Homer Lifts Elon Past The Citadel

ELON, N.C. – Danny Lynch’s home run to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning proved to be the difference as the Elon University baseball team claimed a 5-3 victory over The Citadel Bulldogs in game two of a three-game series at Latham Park on Saturday, March 12.

Lynch finished the day 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI to pace Elon (7-8). Tyler McVicar added two hits and drove in a run.

Bret Hines recorded three of The Citadel’s (7-7) eight hits, including a pair of doubles.

Ryan Conroy (1-1) picked up the first win of his career as he threw 1.2 scoreless innings in relief. Chris Hallstruck out one in a scoreless ninth to earn his fourth save of the season. Elon starter Jordan Barrett took a no-decision after allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits in 6.1 innings. Barrett fanned a career-best seven Bulldog hitters.

The loss went to Jordan Buster (0-1) who gave up two runs on two hits in 2.1 innings out of the bullpen.

How It Happened: In a 3-3 game, Lynch drilled a 2-1 pitch deep over the wall in right field for his third home run of the year to start the last of the eighth. McVicar followed with a single before a sacrifice bunt got him in scoring position. Pinch-hitter Ryne Ogren sent a 3-1 pitch back up the middle to score pinch-runner Liam O’Regan with an insurance run.

Elon was the first to get on the board, scoring three times in the fifth. With runners on first and second with two outs, Kyle Jackson extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single to left to score the game’s first run. Lynch and McVicar then followed with RBI singles to make it 3-0.

With Elon up 3-1 in the seventh, a walk and double off the top of the wall in left put two Bulldog runners aboard. Steven Hansen then singled home one run before a William Kinney ground out tied the game at three.

Quotable: “We threw our breaking stuff for strikes early in the game. What a difference it makes. He (Barrett) just commanded the ball. We had the right guy out there. He threw very, very well. They made a run at us and they kept some pressure on us. I thought we responded well. That was a big knock by Danny.” – Elon head coach Mike Kennedy

Notes: Barrett threw 71.3 percent of his 108 pitches for strikes… In the first inning, Nick Zammarelli roped his 10th double of the season… The Phoenix turned two double plays in the game and has now turned six in its last three outings.

On Deck: Elon and The Citadel will conclude the series with a 12 p.m. game on Sunday, March 13.

Elon Women’s Tennis
DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Elon University women’s tennis team dropped a tight 4-3 match against the Davidson Wildcats on Saturday, March 12, at the Davidson Tennis Courts.

Elaina Cummer clinched the victory for the Wildcats (10-2) with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 win at No. 5 singles against Taylor Casey. Elon (5-9) earned its three points in the match at No. 2, 4 and 3 singles.

HIGHLIGHTS
Davidson used a rally in doubles play to take a 1-0 lead in the match. Olivia Lucas and Suzanne Zenoni cruised to a 6-1 win at No. 3 doubles, but the Wildcats rallied to win on the top court, 6-4, after trailing 4-3. After trailing 5-4 at No. 2, Davidson’s duo of Elaina Cummer and Gabrielle Centenari rallied to win 7-5 to clinch the doubles point.

Zenoni got the Phoenix on the board with a 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 4 singles. Erica Braschi followed it up with a 6-1, 6-0 win of her own on court two to give Elon a 2-1 lead. Anna Feaster tied the match back up with a 6-3, 6-3 win on court one and Jenna Brunner gave the Wildcats a 3-2 lead with a 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 6 singles.

After falling in the first set of her match 5-7 at No. 5, Taylor Casey bounced back to win the second set 6-4 to force a third set. However, she would fall in the final set 6-4 as Elaina Cummer clinched the win for the Wildcats.

Natalia Janowicz battled it out for the final Elon point with a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (10-8) win at No. 3 doubles.

UP NEXT
The Phoenix returns to the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center on Friday, March 18, to host Charlotte for a 2 p.m. match.

Elon Drops 4-3 Women’s Tennis Decision at Davidson
Tennis Match Results
Davidson 4, Elon 3

Singles competition
1. Anna C. Feaster (DAV) def. Olivia Lucas (ELON) 6-3, 6-3
2. Erica Braschi (ELON) def. Ava Todd (DAV) 6-1, 6-0
3. Natalia Janowicz (ELON) def. Gabrielle Centenari (DAV) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (10-8)
4. Suzanne Zenoni (ELON) def. Megan Scholvinck (DAV) 6-1, 6-2
5. Elaina Cummer (DAV) def. Taylor Casey (ELON) 7-5, 4-6, 6-4
6. Jenna Brunner (DAV) def. Maria Paraja (ELON) 6-4, 6-4

Doubles competition
1. Anna C. Feaster/ Ally Sexton (DAV) def. Kirsten Ward/ Natalia Janowicz (ELON) 6-4
2. Elaina Cummer/Gabrielle Centenari (DAV) def. Taylor Casey/Erica Braschi (ELON) 7-5
3. Olivia Lucas/ Suzanne Zenoni (ELON) def. Jenna Brunner/ Megan Scholvinck (DAV) 6-1

Match Notes:
Elon 5-9
Davidson 10-2
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (4,2,1,6,5,3)

Elon Women’s Lacrosse
Phoenix Takes Down Crusaders, 14-3

ELON, N.C. – Off a career-high six points from Maeve Cowley, the Elon women’s lacrosse team snapped a two-game losing skid with a dominating 14-3 victory over visiting Holy Cross today, March 12, at Rudd Field.

The Phoenix (5-2) outshot the Crusaders, 30-15, notching 25 shots on goal, and finished 17-of-19 in clear attempts. Elon held the advantage at the draw, 11-8, and in ground balls, 19-10.

Cowley posted a career and game-high four goals and two assists for the maroon and gold, while Stephanie Asher notched five goals on the day for the duo to combine for 11 of the team’s 16 total points. Both Sloane Kessler and Kelli Stack added two scores for the Phoenix followed by one goal by Shelby Scanlin.

Rookie Shannon Horan tallied a game-high four draws and also claimed two ground balls. Alexis Zadjura matched her career-high with five ground balls and caused three turnovers to lead all players in both categories. Rachel Ramirez posted her fifth win between the posts after seven saves off 10 shots on goal by Holy Cross and also picked up three ground balls.

The Crusaders (0-7) saw two scores from Kaitlin Concilio and the other by Tess McKay. Stephanie Ford also tallied a point with an assist on the day. Julia Maloney was credited with the loss after 11 saves in the game and a team-high three ground balls.

Highlights
Both defenses looked strong early, keeping the game scoreless until Asher got the Phoenix on the board at the 17:31 mark with her 16th goal of the season. After a win at the draw by Bridget Lamb, Asher netted another goal less than a minute later to put Elon up 2-0.

After a score by Cowley made it three straight for the maroon and gold, the Crusaders answered to make it a 3-1 game with 14:17 on the clock. A caused turnover and ground ball by Zadjura allowed for a successful clear for Elon that led to Cowley’s second score of the day with under 10 minutes to play. Cowley tallied another point, getting the ball to Stack for her first goal of the season and a 5-1 Phoenix advantage. Kessler netted a free-position goal with 6:52 to go in the half to make it a 6-1 lead at the break.

Holy Cross came out of the break with a goal by Concilio at the 27:31 mark before an answer by Cowley less than 90 seconds later to make it an 8-2 game.

A win at the draw by Horan led to an Asher free-position goal with 25:09 on the clock, beginning three straight scores by Asher in less than three minutes, giving the Phoenix a 10-2 lead with 22:46 to play.

Cowley netted her fourth score off a free-position shot before a HC goal with 9:29 remaining. After another goal by Kessler, Stack picked up a ground ball off a missed Elon shot and quickly found the back of the net for her second score of the day and season with less than three minutes left on the clock. Nicole Sinacori claimed the ensuing draw, allowing Scanlin to notch a goal off an assist by Cowley with 1:28 remaining for the 14-3 final.

Next Up
Elon closes out a three-game homestand when it takes on its second ranked opponent of the season in No. 4 North Carolina on Tuesday, March 15. The opening draw is set for 7 p.m. at Rudd Field.

Phoenix Outlasts Blue Devils in Marathon Pitchers’ Duel, 1-0

ELON, N.C. – A complete game shutout from rookie Elise Walton aided the Elon University softball team to a 1-0, 10-inning victory over Central Connecticut State on Sunday, March 13, in the Phoenix’s final game of its home tournament this weekend at Hunt Softball Park.

Elon (12-11) went 4-0 over the weekend in its last tournament of the season thanks to a pitching gem by Walton (5-1) in the circle. The Lawrenceville, Va., native allowed five hits in her 10.0 innings while striking out a career-best eight batters for her second win of the weekend.

The Phoenix broke through with the walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 10th from Kristin Hoover. The hit was Hoover’s team-leading second of the day and the sixth overall for the maroon and gold. Elon’s Emily Roper also had a hit for a double in the contest.

The Rundown: The Phoenix struggled to get runners past second in the early duration of the game. Hannah Olson led off with a single to center in the bottom of the first and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, but was left stranded after the next two batters went down in order.

Elon again had a runner advance to second in the bottom of the fourth. The Phoenix had a leadoff single and moved the runner over on a bunt single by Kara Shutt. The runner however advanced too far past second and was eventually tagged out in a rundown with Shutt moving to second. Roper drew a free pass on the next at bat, but Elon hit into a double play to end the threat.

Walton kept the Blue Devils at bay as she retired eight straight after allowing a hit in the top of the fourth. CCSU broke through with a leadoff single in the top of the seventh, but saw its lead runner tagged out on a one-out fielder’s choice before Walton added her seventh strikeout of the game to end the frame.

CCSU had its first base runner reach second in the top of the 10th on a one-out double to right field. Walton however fanned her eight batter of the contest before inducing the final out on a grounder to the shortstop.

In the home half of the 10th, Roper opened with a double to right center, her first and only hit of the game. Senior Kayla Caruso replaced her as a pinch runner and advanced to third on a fielder’s choice. That set the stage for Hoover’s walk-off hit on a bloop single to center that gave the Phoenix the 1-0 win.

Notes of Interest: Elon also went into extra innings last season against CCSU with the Blue Devils earning a 1-0 win in another pitchers’ duel…Both of Walton’s victories this weekend came against 2015 NCAA Tournament teams in CCSU and Oakland…Senior Emily Cameron made her first start of the season as the designated player…Elon played in only its second game of the year when neither team committed an error.

On Deck
Elon moves on to another home contest as the Phoenix hosts Charlotte on Wednesday, March 16. That single-game contest is scheduled for a 5 p.m. opening pitch.

Late Rally Gives Elon Series Victory Over The Citadel

ELON, N.C. – Trailing 3-1 heading to the last of the eighth inning, the Elon University baseball team’s offense erupted for seven runs, including four on the first career home run by Ryne Ogren, as the Phoenix claimed the series from The Citadel Bulldogs with an 8-3 decision on Sunday, March 13.

Ogren ended the day 2-for-4 and drove in four to help lead the Elon (8-8) offense. Kyle Jackson also notched a 2-for-4 performance, scoring twice, driving in two and homering for the eighth time this season.

The Citadel (7-8) saw William Kinney post its lone multi-hit day, as he was 2-for-3 at the plate.

Ryan Conroy (2-1) won for the second straight day. The freshman allowed one run on two hits in 3.0 innings, striking out three. Phoenix starter Mason Daniels allowed two runs on four hits in 5.0 innings. Daniels recorded six strikeouts.

The loss was charged to Johnny Croley (0-1) who allowed two runs on two hits without recording an out.

How It Happened: Down 3-1 entering the bottom of the eighth, Elon began its rally with a leadoff walk to CJ Young. After a Nick Zammarelli single, Jackson ripped a double down the left field line to make it a 3-2 game. Danny Lynch followed with a RBI single up the middle that left runners on the corners. A fourth consecutive hit, this one a single from Tyler McVicar, scored Jackson and Elon claimed a 4-3 advantage. After a hit batter, Ogren turned on a 2-0 offering and laced the pitch over the wall in left-center for Elon’s first grand slam of the season.

The Citadel got out to a 1-0 lead in the second when a run scored on a wild pitch. The Bulldogs made it 2-0 in the fifth on Philip Watcher’s RBI single.

Elon got on the board in the sixth when Jackson belted a no-doubt shot to left-center only to see The Citadel get that run back on a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Quotable: “I thought we competed on the mound. Conroy’s been really, really good out of that bullpen for us. Offensively, I thought for six innings that we weren’t here. We were swinging at bad pitches and we were early. That’s why, if your pitching keeps you in there and you stay the course, then you can have a big inning like that.” – Elon head coach Mike Kennedy

Notes: Elon improved to 29-22 all-time against The Citadel… Jackson’s hitting streak has now reached 12 games and he has reached base safely in all 16 outings… In his last 15.1 innings, Daniels has struck out 21 hitters.

On Deck: Elon will face its second ranked opponent of the year on Wednesday, March 16. The Phoenix is slated to visit the sixth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels for a 6 p.m. contest.

Elon Set to Face Navy, Davidson and JMU

ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men’s tennis team is set for a busy week of competition this week with three matches, including two at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center. The Phoenix hosts Navy on Monday and Davidson on Tuesday, followed by a match at James Madison on Friday.

LAST TIME OUT
The Phoenix earned a 6-1 victory at Winthrop on Friday. Elon has now won six of its last seven matches heading into the week. Salvador Mijares clinched the victory for Elon with a 6-2, 6-4 victory at No. 4 singles.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Navy enters Monday’s contest with an 11-6 overall record. Heading into the match, Navy has won five straight and are coming off a 6-1 victory over St. Francis Brooklyn.

Davidson (5-6) won its second straight match on Saturday with a 5-2 victory over The Citadel. The Wildcats have struggled on the road this season and have an 0-3 record thus far.

James Madison sits a 6-6 overall this season and will face the Longwood Lancers on Tuesday before hosting the Phoenix on Friday. The Dukes are 1-1 against CAA opponents this season. James Madison is currently on a two-match losing streak with losses to College of Charleston and Coastal Carolina.

SERIES HISTORY
Monday will be the first meeting for the Phoenix against Navy. Elon owns a 14-4 all-time series lead over the Davidson Wildcats, who they will face on Tuesday. The two teams faced off as Southern Conference foes from 2004 until 2014. The Phoenix has won the last 12 matchups, including a 4-3 win last season on April 2, 2015.

Elon will be meeting the James Madison Dukes for the second time in the all-time series on Friday. The Phoenix won the first matchup last season, winning 7-0 on March 21, 2015.

HOME COOKING
The Phoenix has impressed on its home court to begin the season. Elon holds a 4-1 record at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center and a 5-1 home record overall. Since the beginning of the 2013 spring season, the Phoenix has achieved a home record of 27-8.

YOUTH MOVEMENT
True freshmen have been carrying a heavy load for the Phoenix so far this season. Taylor Foote, Salvador Mijares, Felipe Osses-Konig, Mario Paccini, Felipe Sarrasague and Charlie Sullivan have combined for 26 of the team’s 41 singles wins through 12 matches. Mijares is tied with Robert Lindgren for the team lead with seven singles wins while Paccini is close behind with six victories.

LINDGREN EARNS CAA HONOR
Senior Robert Lindgren earned CAA Men’s Tennis Player of the Week last week after finishing 1-0 in singles play, earning a win against North Carolina A&T and going unfinished in his singles match against No. 28 Old Dominion.

UP NEXT
After a busy week of three matches, the Phoenix heads to Conway, S.C. to face Coastal Carolina in its lone match next week on Tuesday, March 22, for a 1 p.m. matchup.

HEAD COACH MICHAEL LEONARD
Michael Leonard is in his 12th season as Elon’s director of tennis and head men’s tennis coach. Leonard is a five-time winner of the Southern Conference Coach of the Year award and has led the program to five conference championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances.

2016 CAA TOURNAMENT
Elon was selected to host the 2016 Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships, which will be held April 21-24 at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center and the Burlington Tennis Center. It will mark the first-ever CAA Tournament hosted by the Phoenix and first conference tournament hosted by the program since the 2013 SoCon Tournament.