ELON, N.C. – Greg Annarummo belted three home runs and drove in 10 runs while fellow freshman Neal Pritchard drove in six to lead the Elon Phoenix to a 19-10 rout of the visiting Wake Forest Demon Deacons in front of 520 fans at Latham Park on Tuesday night. With the win, the Phoenix improved to 30-13 overall and extended its streak of 30+ win seasons to nine. Wake Forest dropped to 15-25 on the year.
Following a one-out double from Willy Fox, Allan Dykstra blasted his 11th homer of the season over the fence in center, giving the Demon Deacons a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Elon had a big bottom half of the first, sending 10 men to the plate and scoring five times. The Phoenix got one back after it loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batter. When Wake starter Mark Adzick plunked Pritchard, Donny Jobe was forced in from third. Annarummo then cleared the bases, touching off a bomb into the trees in left-center for his third homer of the year for his first career grand slam.
Pritchard lined a two-out double to the gap in left, scoring both Chase Austin and Cory Harrilchak. Annarummo followed with his second long ball of the night, driving in two more and building the Phoenix lead to 9-2 in the second.
Elon’s bats stayed hot in the third as Harry Austin laced a double to the gap in left-center to start the at bat. After moving to third on Chris Dove’s ground out, Harry Austin scored on Jobe’s bouncing single through the right side of the drawn in infield. Pritchard drove in three more by hitting a bases loaded double to right-center, scoring Jobe, Chase Austin and Harrilchak. Annarummo struck again, this time lining a double to the gap in left, driving home Pritchard.
After Harrilchak had retired six consecutive Deacon hitters, including five straight strike outs, Evan Ocheltree lined a solo homer to left, his fourth of the season, trimming Elon’s lead to 14-3 in the top of the fifth. Two hitters later, Fox hit his fifth home run of the year, this one a solo shot off the scoreboard in left-center.
Chase Austin got one of those two back in the bottom half, hitting a solo shot to lead off the inning, his fifth of the year. Harrilchak followed with a walk and moved to second on Pritchard’s single to left. After a fielder’s choice allowed Mike Melillo to reach, erasing Pritchard and advancing Harrilchak to third, Harry Austin lined a single to left, plating Harrilchak.
Ocheltree singled and Ben Terry doubled to start the Wake Forest half of the seventh. Fox then bounced a ball to short for out number one, but Ocheltree scored on the play. After Dykstra drew a 3-2 walk, Mike Murray singled to left to score Ocheltree. On the play, the throw to third from Pritchard was wide and Terry raced home. Dustin Hood’s single to right to bring home Murray and pulling the Demon Deacons within 16-8.
After both Harrilchak and Pritchard were hit by pitches, Annarummo drove his eighth, ninth and 10th RBI of the game with a three-run homer to left-center.
Wake added another when Dykstra doubled home Fox with two down in the eighth. The Deacons tacked on a 10th run when Hood hit his first career home run in the top of the ninth, a solo shot.
Harrilchak picked up the victory to improve to 4-3 on the year. He lasted 6.2 innings and allowed eight runs on 12 hits. He walked just one and fanned a career-best 12. Brian Bodjiak hurled the final 2.1 innings, surrendering two hits and allowing two runs.
Adzick suffered the defeat, falling to 0-3 on the year. He lasted just 0.2 innings and was tagged for five runs on just one hit.
Annarummo finished the night going 4-for-5, scoring three times. He becomes the first Elon player to hit three homers or drive in 10 runs since the Phoenix joined the SoCon for the 2004 campaign. Annarummo needed a solo home run for the home run cycle – a solo, two-run, three-run and grand slam in one game. Pritchard posted a 3-for-4, four run night while both Chase Austin and Harry Austin had two hits. Harrilchak, despite reaching base five times via a hit-by-pitch or a walk, went 0-for-1 to see his hitting streak end at 13 games.
Wake’s offense was led by Dykstra who went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI. Fox and Hood both went 3-for-5 with two driven runs driven in. Fox scored three times.
Elon will hit the road for a 6 p.m. Wednesday contest at Winthrop.
– ELON –