ELON, N.C. – After falling behind 7-0 early in the game, the Elon University baseball team would get the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth before falling to 25th-ranked East Carolina by an 11-7 score on Tuesday night at Latham Park.
Kyle Jackson led the Phoenix offense, recording a personal-best four hits, including a double and home run. He also scored twice and drove in a pair. Joe Satterfield also homered and scored twice in a three-hit performance for Elon (9-12).
Travis Watkins hit a grand slam and drove in six runs to lead the ECU (14-7) offensive attack.
Both squads used a staff approach to pitching on Tuesday. Elon starter Robbie Welhaf (2-3) took the loss after allowing two runs on three hits in an inning of work. The Phoenix would use seven total pitchers on the night.
ECU’s Davis Kirkpatrick (1-0) earned the win as he surrendered three runs on five hits in 2.1 innings. The Pirates ran five pitchers to the mound.
How It Happened: Elon trailed 11-7 going to the bottom of the ninth before three consecutive one-out walks loaded the bases for the maroon and gold. The Pirates were able to work around the threat by getting an infield fly and ground out to second to end the game.
East Carolina jumped out to a 7-0 lead after the top of the second before Elon was able to get on the board in the bottom half on a CJ Young sacrifice fly. The Phoenix trimmed its deficit to 7-3 in the third as Satterfield homered over the batter’s eye in center with one out. Three straight hits from Ryne Ogren, James Venuto and Jackson produced the second run of the inning.
The Pirates pushed the lead to six runs with a two-run fifth before Elon got one back in the sixth on a Liam O’Regan RBI single. ECU gained a little more distance with a two-run seventh that made it 11-4.
Elon would chip away over its next two at bats. In the seventh, the Phoenix scored on Jackson’s solo homer to left. In the eighth, Elon put runners on second and third with one out before Ogren’s ground out scored one. A second run came in on Ty Adcock’s pinch-hit single.
Notes: During his nine-game hitting streak, Ogren has gone 18-for-39 (.462)… Jackson now has 25 career multi-hit games… Elon has recorded 10 or more hits in three straight games.
On Deck: The Phoenix will wrap up an 11-game homestand by opening CAA play this weekend against the Northeastern Huskies. The series will begin with a 6 p.m. first pitch on Friday, March 24. Saturday’s game will start at 4 p.m., while Sunday’s finale has been moved to a 12:30 p.m. first pitch.