ELON, N.C. – Mason Daniels surrendered two earned runs over 7.1 innings and the Elon University baseball team pounded out 13 hits as the Phoenix completed a three-game Colonial Athletic Association sweep of the visiting Hofstra Pride by a 10-5 margin on Sunday afternoon at Latham Park.
The top five hitters in the Elon (19-22, 10-7 CAA) order all had two-hit games, including Tyler McVicar’s 2-for-3, three-run, two-RBI day and CJ Young’s 2-for-4, three-RBI performance.
Five different players collected one hit apiece for Hofstra (13-27, 4-10), including Nick Bottari who homered and drove in two.
Daniels (3-3) claimed the victory as he limited the Pride offense to five runs (two earned) on five hits in a career-long 7.1 innings of work. The righty struck out six to climb into fourth place on Elon’s NCAA Division I freshman chart with 51 on the season. Robbie Welhaf threw the final 1.1 innings without allowing a run or a hit to pick up his first save of the year.
Bowie Matteson (3-4) took the loss after allowing nine runs on nine hits in 3.2 innings of work.
How It Happened: Elon jumped on top in the first inning when Tyler McVicar drilled a 3-1 pitch deep over the wall in left for a two-run shot. It was his seventh of the season.
Hofstra would tie it up with single runs in the second and third before the Phoenix put up three in the last of the third. Ryne Ogren got it started with a one-out home run to left. McVicar then drew a two-out walk and Danny Lynch singled before Young drove them both in with a double down the third base line.
The Pride got one back on a Bottari homer in the fourth only to see the maroon and gold put up a four-spot in its half of the inning. With runners on the corners and one out, Ogren doubled home one to put the Phoenix ahead 6-3. Nick Zammarelli’s sacrifice fly made it a 7-3 game before Lynch and Young delivered RBI singles.
A Kyle Jackson sacrifice fly in the seventh upped Elon’s lead to 10-3 before Hofstra scored two unearned runs in the eighth.
Notes: McVicar pushed his hitting streak to a career-best 13 games… Daniels became just the third Elon freshman to start 10 or more games in a season at the Division I level… Elon has won eight consecutive conference games for the first time since the 2009 season.
On Deck: Elon will conclude its five-game homestand with a 6:30 p.m. contest against North Carolina Central.