Platt’s Ninth-Inning Homer Gives Elon Baseball a Win at Towson

TOWSON, Md. – Down to his final strike with two outs in the ninth inning, Hayden Platt connected on a pinch-hit, three-run homer to lift the Elon University baseball team to a 5-4 victory over the Towson Tigers in game two of a Colonial Athletic Association series on Saturday afternoon.

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Elon (17-19, 7-4 CAA) was limited to just five hits in the game, including two from Will Nance. James Venuto had one hit and scored three runs for the Phoenix.

For the Tigers (14-18, 3-5), Richie Palacios finished a home run shy of the cycle as he went 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Colin Gimblet also notched three hits for Towson.

Robbie Welhaf (3-4) picked up the victory after allowing two unearned runs on three hits in 3.2 innings out of the bullpen. He struck out four. Phoenix starter Jordan Barrett recorded eight strikeouts and gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits in 5.1 innings.

After earning the win in Friday’s game, Towson’s David Marriggi (4-2) was saddled with the loss on Saturday. Marriggi was charged with two runs on two hits in an inning of work. Starter Kevin Ross went 8.0 innings, struck out nine and allowed three runs (two earned).

How It Happened: Elon found itself trailing 4-2 entering the ninth inning when Venuto was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the ninth and moved to second on Nance’s one-out, infield single. With two down and a 1-2 count, Platt belted three-run homer over the fence in center to put Elon up 5-4.

Welhaf allowed a two-out base runner in the bottom of the ninth before Gimblet lined a ball to left-center for a single. Pinch-runner Jay Sanford tried to score from first base, but was thrown out at the plate on a nearly perfect throw from Kyle Jackson to end the game.

Elon was able to take a 1-0 lead in the first inning with two outs as Venuto doubled and then scored on a Jackson single.

The Phoenix used another two-out run to grab a 2-0 lead in the third. After Venuto walked and went to second on a wild pitch, Jackson lifted a fly ball to shallow left-center that was dropped allowing the run to score.

Towson battled back, scoring an unearned run in the last of the third before striking for one in the sixth. Gimblet led off the last of the sixth with a double as Jackson nearly took away the hit but was unable to reel in the hit while crashing in to the fence in left-center. After a ground out and walk put runners on the corners, Colin Dyer singled to center to knot it at two. With two in scoring position and two outs, Joe Satterfield saved two runs as he dove to snare Andrew Cassard’s line drive up the middle.

The Tigers got runners on second and third with one out in the last of the seventh when Satterfield knocked down a line drive and threw home. The runner on third attempted to retreat to his base and the throw to third sailed down the line allowing two unearned runs to score as Towson went up 4-2.

Notes: Ryne Ogren saw his streak of reaching base safely come to an end 23 consecutive games, one game shy of matching a personal best… Platt’s pinch-hit homer was the first for the Phoenix since Venuto’s in game one of a doubleheader at William & Mary on March 28, 2015… Jackson now has four outfield assists on the season and nine in his time with the Phoenix.

On Deck: The two will conclude the series with a 1 p.m. first pitch on Easter Sunday.