Coming into the night, the Phoenix had scored 10 or more runs in eight consecutive games.
The Tar Heels jumped on top in the bottom of the first, sending nine men to the plate and scoring five runs. The scoring started when Levi Michael ripped his 12th homer of the year over the wall in right following a single from Ben Bunting to start the game. Dustin Ackley and Kyle Seager then drew back-to-back walks before Mark Fleury doubled home both runners to give UNC a 4-0 lead. Fleury headed to third on a sacrifice bunt by Garrett Gore and then scored on a two-out error by the Phoenix.
Elon got one back in the top of the second when
Mike Melillo belted his 14th homer of his career, a one-out solo shot to right-center.
Dallas Tarleton made it back-to-back bombs as his solo shot off the scoreboard in left-center made the score 5-2. The shot was the 10th of the year for Tarleton, the seventh Phoenix player to hit 10 or more this season.
After the first two hitters of the bottom of the second were retired, Ackley, Seager and Fleury all drew walks to load the bases. The Phoenix escaped damage, however, when Gore flew out to center.
Justin Hilt led off the Phoenix third with his 14th home run of the season, this one to left-center.
Carolina's half of the third started with Mike Cavasinni being hit by a pitch and Ryan Graepel walking. With one out Bunting loaded the bags with an infield single. Ackley drove in two with a two-out single to center that left runners on the corners.
Fleury walked to start the UNC fourth before Gore's bunt single put two runners aboard. Cavasinni followed with a single down the left field line to load the bases. Graepel grounded a ball to third and the throw to the plate was dropped, allowing Fleury to score. A balk then brought in Gore before Tarron Robinson singled off first base to score two more and the Tar Heels grabbed an 11-3 lead. Ackley's two-out double fell just out of the reach of a diving Hilt in right to plate Robinson. Seager followed with another double, plating Ackley as the Tar Heels batted around.
Carolina added another in the fifth when Graepel's double plated Cavasinni from first and one more in the sixth when Fleury singled home Michael.
Harry Austin led off the Phoenix ninth with a single and, following a one-out walk to Hilt that put two runners on, scored on
Cory Harrilchak's double into the right field corner.
Chase Austin's single through the left side of the infield plated Hilt before
Pat Irvine doubled down the right field line to drive in Harrilchak as Elon made the score 15-6.
Tom Porter (1-3) took the loss for Elon after he gave up four runs without recording an out. Phoenix hurlers tied a season-high with eight walks allowed.
Brian Moran (5-1) grabbed the win with 2.2 scoreless innings of relief work.
Harrilchak (3-for-4) doubled in the first inning to extend his streak of safely reaching base to 80 games. Hilt had two hits while Melillo recorded a 3-for-4 day at the plate. Tarleton extended his hitting streak to a career-best 11 games while
Harry Austin's ninth inning single ran his hitting streak to 10 games, equaling a career-high.
For UNC, both Ackley (3-for-4) and Fleury (2-for-3) drove in three runs.
Elon returns to SoCon play with a 3 p.m. start at Western Carolina in Cullowhee, N.C. on Friday afternoon.
-- ELON --