ELON, N.C. – The Elon University baseball team could not dig out of an early hole as the Phoenix dropped a 10-5 decision to the visiting Richmond Spiders on Senior Day at Latham Park.
Elon (25-27) got two hits each from Ryne Ogren and Nick Zammarelli, while Kyle Jackson hit his team-leading 11th home run of the year.
Michael Morman went 3-for-6 with three RBI for Richmond (28-24).
Phoenix starter Jordan Barrett (3-5) took the loss after allowing six runs on seven hits in 2.1 innings.
The win went to Dan Martinson (7-1) who tossed 5.0 innings and surrendering one run on four hits and striking out six.
How It Happened: Morman’s one-out single to left-center in the top of the first scored Tyler Beckwith to stake Richmond to a 1-0 lead. The Spiders would extend their advantage to 4-0 in the second thanks to an Aaron Newman RBI single and a two-RBI single from Morman.
Richmond would stretch the lead to 10-0 after the top of the fifth before Elon scored one on a Zammarelli sacrifice fly. The Phoenix would cut it to 10-2 when Will Nance lifted a sac fly to right in the last of the sixth.
Elon would chip away with a single run in the eighth on Jackson’s homer. The maroon and gold looked to mount a comeback in the last of the ninth, but would fall short. The Phoenix loaded the bases with one out when Kory Shumate singled home a run to make it 10-4. CJ Young followed with a walk to force home the fifth Phoenix tally before the Spiders went to the bullpen. On a 1-0 count, Jackson tried to check his swing, but tapped a ball back to the mound to start a 1-2-3 double play to end the game and the Elon rally.
Notes: Tyler McVicar drew three walks to extend his streak of reaching base safely to 24 games… Zammarelli has reached safely in 22 contests and Ogren in 21… Elon turned its 59th double play of the season, its most since turning 66 in 2010
On Deck: Elon and Richmond are slated to conclude the series, and the regular season, with a 6 p.m. game on Saturday evening.