ELON, N.C. – The Elon Phoenix opened its 2009 home season by out-hitting the North Carolina State Wolfpack by a 6-3 margin, but found itself on the short side of a 3-1 final score in non-league baseball action from Latham Park on Wednesday night. Elon dropped to 2-2 on the year while NC State upped its mark to 3-2.
The Phoenix is now 7-3 in home openers since moving to NCAA Division I play. Two of those three defeats have been at the hands of the Wolfpack.
State started the scoring in the second when Dallas Poulk singled home Pratt Maynard who had reached as part of back-to-back walks to start the frame.
The Wolfpack received walks to Drew Martin and Brian Bello to begin the top of the fifth. After a Kyle Wilson sacrifice bunt moved both runners up a bag, Bobby Kennedy got Devon Cartwright to pop out to the catcher. With two down, Drew Poulk bounced a ball up the middle to plate both runners to put State on top 3-0.
Elon threatened in the sixth when Cory Harrilchak singled, extending his streak of reaching base safely to 37 games, and Pat Irvine walked to start the inning. Jake Buchanan then retired Bennett Davis, Mike Melillo and Chase Austin to end any chance of the Phoenix pushing across a run.
The Phoenix repeated the task in the seventh when Mike Lobacz drew a walk and Justin Hilt looped a single to right before Dallas Tarleton, Neal Pritchard and Harrilchak were set down.
Elon finally got on the board when Davis ripped a ball over the wall in left-center for his second home run of the year.
Davis finished the day 2-for-4, the lone Elon hitter with more than one basehit on the day. Austin saw his career-best 18-game hitting streak come to an end following an 0-for-4 performance. The Phoenix stranded eight runners.
Drew Poulk had two of State's four hits and drove in two, while his cousin Dallas Poulk drove home the other run with a 1-for-4 day. All three of the Wolfpack runs reached base via a walk.
Kennedy (0-1) went 5.0 innings and struck out four, but walked five. He was charged with all three runs. The Phoenix bullpen was dominant, striking out nine of the 11 hitters the five relievers faced. The bullpen did not allow a hit or a walk.
Buchanan (1-0) was the winner after 6.0 shutout innings of work for the Wolfpack. He allowed a walk and four hits while fanning seven. Sam Brown earned his first save with 2.2 innings of work out of the pen. Brown gave up the one run and one hit, but struck out four.
Elon opens Southern Conference play this weekend by travelling to Boone, N.C. to take on the Appalachian State Mountaineers in a three-game series beginning Friday at 3 p.m.
-- ELON --