Box Score

CULLOWHEE, N.C. -- Elon built a 7-0 lead and then held off a late Western Carolina rally to complete a three-game Southern Conference series sweep with a 9-6 win on Sunday afternoon.  The Phoenix improved to 15-6 overall and remained perfect in league play at 6-0.  The Catamounts dropped to 8-10, 0-6 on the year.

Eric Serra drew a one-out walk in the top of the third and promptly stole second.  On the play, the catcher's throw to second went into center field, allowing Serra to move to third.  The Catamounts tried to throw Serra out at third, but threw the ball away again, letting Serra score the first run of the game.

The Phoenix added three to its lead in the fourth.  Alex Swim got things started with a single through the right side and went to second on a sacrifice bunt.  Sebastian Gomez and Scott Carcaise both walked to load the bases ahead of Garrett Koster's double to right-center that scored two.  Elon added one more when Serra's ground out plated Carcaise to make it 4-0.

The Elon fifth began with Niko Fraser being hit with an 0-2 pitch before Neal Pritchard lined a 3-2 pitch to left.  After a sac bunt, pinch-hitter Matt Kirchner grounded a ball to the drawn in shortstop who fired home, but the catcher dropped the throw and Fraser scored the fifth Phoenix run.  Gomez followed with an infield single to drive home Pritchard to give Elon a 6-0 edge.  After a walk loaded the bases, Koster was plunked to force home the last run of the frame.

Western got on the board in the bottom of the fifth when, following Aaron Attaway's single, Austin Schultz hit his first homer of the year, this one clearing the big wall in left.  After the next two hitters were set down, the Catamounts loaded the bases thanks to a walk to Ross Heffley and singles from Adam Martin and Tyler White.  Jared Kernodle got out of the jam by striking out Stephen Notaro to end the at bat.

Luke Gragg led off the bottom of the sixth with a double ahead of an Attaway walk.  Following a sac bunt, two wild pitches let both runners score as Elon's lead was trimmed to 7-4.

Elon added two in the eighth thanks to RBI fielder's choices from Swim and Kirchner.

In the last of the ninth, a bases loaded single and sac fly scored runs for Western before the final out was recorded.

Kernodle (3-1) picked up the victory after giving up two runs on six hits in five innings.  John Brebbia needed just three pitches to record the final out and earn his first career save.

Dakotah Thomas (1-1) took the first loss of his career after giving up three runs on two hits in 3.1 innings.  Western Carolina pitching issued 11 walks on the day.

At the plate, Elon's Fraser was 2-for-5 with two runs scored while Gomez went 2-for-3 with a run and one RBI.  Koster drove in three runs for the Phoenix.

Western's White was 3-for-4.

Elon will next play on Tuesday in the first of a two-game mid-week set at top-20 Clemson.  Both games are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. starts.