ELON, N.C. -- The Elon Phoenix held off a ninth inning rally by the Duke Blue Devils to pick up an 8-7 non-league baseball victory from Latham Park on Wednesday night. In the victory, Elon belted three home runs to establish a new school record with 83 round-trippers on the season. The previous mark of 80 was set last year.
Jeremy Gould gave Duke (27-16) the lead when he led off the second inning with his sixth home run of the year. Will Piwnica-Worms followed with a walk, went to second on Tim Sherlock's sacrifice bunt and then stole third. Brian Litwin's ground out to third scored Piwnica-Worms with the second run of the game.
The Phoenix (25-13) quickly evened the score in the bottom of the second. After
Pat Irvine drew a lead-off walk,
Bennett Davis crushed his 10th homer of the year to even the score at two. The bomb to left was the 81st of the year for Elon, a new program record.
Mike Melillo followed with a walk and headed to third on
Justin Hilt's single. After Hilt swiped second
Ryan Adams bounced out to second, but recorded an RBI as Melillo came in to put Elon on top 3-2.
Harry Austin drove home Hilt with the fourth run of the inning with a triple to right-center.
In the third, Davis drew a two-out walk and went to third on a Melillo double down the right field line. Hilt followed with a walk to load the bases, but Jonathan Foreman came on to get a strikeout to end the threat.
Duke began the fourth with a walk to Nate Freeman and Jeremy Gould being hit by a pitch. Piwinica-Worms' put down a bunt single to load the bases. After Tim Sherlock struck out a ground ball to third erased Freeman, but an error on the attempted throw to first allowed Gould to score. On a double steal attempt, Elon caught Litwin heading to second, but the home plate umpire ruled that Piwnica-Worms scored before the out was recorded to tie the game.
The Phoenix went back on top in the fourth. Austin singled to right and stole second before
Zeth Stone walked.
Cory Harrilchak bounced a ball to second and Gabriel Saade tried to go to second, but threw the ball away to score Austin. After a wild pitch moved both Stone and Harrilchak into scoring position. Irvine drove home Stone with a sac fly to right to give Elon a 6-4 lead.
After the first two hitters of the fifth were retired, Saaded doubled off the wall in left before Jake Lemmerman hit his third homer of the year to tie the game again.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Irvine was given new life when Blue Devil third baseman Ryan McCurdy dropped a foul ball. Irvine made Duke pay by ripping his 14th homer of the year, this one a solo shot to right-center. Davis made it back-to-back jacks as he hit his second of the night to give Elon an 8-6 lead.
Pinch-hitter Eric Pfisterer led off the ninth with a single up the middle before Tom Luciano came on to pinch-run.
Thomas Girdwood then fanned Matt Williams pinch-hitter Alex Hassan singled. The second out was recorded when Saade flew out to center. Lemmerman's single up the middle plated Luciano to pull the Blue Devils within a run at 8-7. Freiman's infield single loaded the bases before Gould worked a 3-2 count. On the pay-off pitch Gould watched a pitch at the knees for strike three.
Harrilchak (2-1) earned the victory after he allowed six runs (four earned) on just five hits in 7.0 innings. He tied his career-high with seven strike outs. After
Daniel Britt threw a scoreless eighth with two K's, Girdwood came on to earn his 10th save of the season. The sophomore now has 20 saves for his career, just one shy of the program record of 21 held by Chris Maness (1995-98). On the night, Elon pitchers struck out 11 hitters and walked just three.
Ben Grisz (0-1) took the loss after allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits in 2.1 innings of relief work. Starter David Putman lasted just 2.2 innings and was charged with four runs on four hits.
Davis' two-homer night led the way for Elon. He went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI. The senior now sits in a tie for fourth place in program history with 29 dingers. Irvine drove in two with his 1-for-3, two-run outing. Austin also had two hits on the night. Harrilchak kept his streak of reaching base safely alive with an eighth inning walk. That streak now sits at 71 games.
Duke's Limmerman had the team's only multi-hit night, going 2-for-5 with a run and three RBI.
League-leading Elon will take on SoCon newcomer Samford in a three-game set in Birmingham, Ala. this weekend. Game one is set for a 7 p.m. start on Friday night.
-- ELON --