Delaware Evens Series With Elon Baseball

NEWARK, Del. – A pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth inning proved to be the difference as the Elon University baseball team dropped a 3-1 decision to the Delaware Blue Hens in game two of a three-game Colonial Athletic Association series on Saturday, May 5. The series is now even at a game apiece.

Box Score | Play-by-Play

The loss went to George Kirby (8-2) who was charged with three runs (one earned) on six hits over 5.2 innings. He struck out four hitters.

Elon (28-19, 10-7 CAA) did not get a hit until Ryne Ogren’s bloop single to right-center with one out in the eighth. Despite only recording one hit, the Phoenix stranded seven runners on the day.

For Delaware (24-22, 8-9 CAA), Billy Sullivan IV (5-2) tossed 6.2 no-hit innings and allowed one run. He walked six and struck out seven. Coleman Vila earned his fifth save of the year after giving up one hit in 2.1 scoreless frames.

The Blue Hen offense was led by Jordan Hutchins who was 3-for-3 with a double and one RBI.

How It Happened: In the top of the third, Ty Adcock was hit by a pitch to start the inning and stole second. After a walk put two aboard, Adcock moved to third on a fly out and then scored on an Ogren ground out to give Elon a 1-0 lead.

Delaware knotted it up in the last of the fourth when Nick Patten led off the inning with his seventh home run of the season.

The last of the sixth began with an Elon error that allowed a Blue Hen runner to reach first. After the next two hitters were retired, a single to center put runners on the corners before Hutchins lined an RBI single to left-center to score one. The throw in from the outfield was off the mark and allowed a second run to score to make it 3-0.

Notes: With five strikeouts, the Phoenix pitching staff now has 481 on the year and is just 10 shy of matching the program record of 491 set a year ago… Elon dropped to 2-14 when trailing after six innings… Elon was last held to just one hit in an 8-1 loss at #2 South Carolina on Feb. 24, 2012… The Phoenix was 0-for-13 with runners on base and 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position on the afternoon.

On Deck: The two programs will meet for the rubber match of the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.