WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – After rallying to take the lead, the Elon University baseball team saw the William & Mary Tribe push across eight runs in the last of the seventh as the Phoenix fell by a 14-6 margin in game two of a Colonial Athletic Association series on Saturday.
Elon (15-16, 5-3 CAA) saw Will Nance drive in two and score twice, while Zach Evers also finished with two RBI.
For William & Mary (17-13, 4-4 CAA) Brandon Raquet had three hits, scored twice and drove in three runs.
George Kirby (1-3) was saddled with the loss after allowing seven runs on six hits in 2.2 innings out of the bullpen.
Robert White (3-1) picked up the win with his relief effort. White tossed 2.0 scoreless innings, giving up one hit and striking out three.
How It Happened: For the second day in a row, William & Mary grabbed a lead in the first inning. After the first two hitters of the inning reached, Cullen Large lined a single up the middle to score the game’s first run. With the bases loaded and one out, Ryder Miconi drew a walk to force in a second run. Elon escaped further damage with a strikeout and fly out to right.
A bases-loaded sacrifice fly off the bat of Kyle Wrighte allowed the Tribe to make it a 3-0 game in the last of the third.
Elon got its offense going in the top of the fourth. James Venuto led off with a single up the middle and moved to second when Cam Devanney walked. Nance then plated both runners with a triple to left-center, cutting the Phoenix’s deficit to 3-2. With one out, Evers tied the game with a sacrifice fly to right.
The Phoenix loaded the bases in the sixth as Devanney led off with a single through the right side. Nance put down a sacrifice bunt, but was safe as the throw to first was off the mark and Elon had runners at second and third. Following a walk to Ty Adcock, Evers lined a single to right to put the maroon and gold on top, 4-3. Hayden Platt followed with a walk to force home Nance to build a two-run lead. The Phoenix lead grew to 6-3 when Ryne Ogren grounded a ball through the right side.
William & Mary responded in the last of the sixth, cutting the Elon lead to 6-4 on Raquet’s pinch-hit triple that scored Wrighte. With runners on the corners, the Tribe made it 6-5 on a wild pitch. Owen Socher’s one-out bloop single to right evened the score back up.
In the last of the seventh, Miconi singled and then scored on Wrighte’s double to the gap in left-center. Wrighte was able to move to third on an errant throw to the plate. Raquet added another to the lead with a double off the wall in left as the Tribe built an 8-6 lead. With runners on the corners and two outs, Matthew Trehub singled home two more as Elon fell behind by four runs. The Tribe would end up scoring eight runs in the inning to lead 14-6.
Notes: Ryne Ogren has now reached base safely in 19 consecutive games, while Kyle Jackson’s streak reached 16 games and Venuto’s moved to 15 games… The Phoenix was just 4-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
On Deck: The series will wrap up with a 1 p.m. game on Sunday, April 9.