Welhaf Dominant in Elon Baseball Victory Over Radford

ELON, N.C. – In what has become commonplace for the Elon University baseball team in the early going of the 2018 season, the Phoenix played its third one-run game in four tries as the program picked up a 2-1 win over the visiting Radford Highlanders at Latham Park on Tuesday, Feb. 20.
Box Score | Play-by-Play

Robbie Welhaf (1-1) earned the win for Elon (1-3) after allowing just one hit in 6.0 innings. He struck out a career-best 12 hitters, including the first four hitters he faced, in his relief outing. Mason Daniels returned to the mound for the first time since 2016 as he gave up one run on six hits in 3.0 innings of work.

At the plate, Elon’s Zach Evers went 3-for-3 and reached base all four times. He scored once. Joe Satterfieldpicked up the lone Phoenix RBI.

Radford (2-2) used a total of seven pitchers. Reliever Andrew Nardi (0-1) took the loss after giving up a run on one hit in 0.1 innings.

Kyle Butler and Colby Higgerson each had two hits with Butler scoring the Highlanders’ lone run and Higgerson driving him in.

How It Happened: Radford was the first to get on the board, scoring its run in the third inning. With one out, Butler singled and then stole second with two outs. After a walk, Higgerson’s single up the middle drove home Butler.

Elon would tie it with an unearned run in the last of the third. With two down, Evers and Garrett Stonehousesingled. Ryne Ogren’s sharp grounder was deflected by the pitcher towards short for an infield single, but a throw to first was off the mark and allowed Evers to score.

It remained a 1-1 game until the bottom of the sixth when Hayden Platt, who had doubled and moved to third on a ground out, scored on a pinch-hit single from Joe Satterfield.

Notes:
Through four games, Elon pitchers have struck out 56 hitters (14.0 per game)… Elon improved to 12-7 all-time against Radford and has won eight consecutive against the Highlanders… Evers’ three hits were a career high… Elon’s first four games have been decided by a combined five runs.

On Deck: Elon will be right back in action on Wednesday, Feb. 21, as the Phoenix hosts Kansas State at 4 p.m.