Box Score

STATESBORO, Ga. -- Elon baseball head coach Mike Kennedy picked up the 500th win of his career as his Phoenix squad shut out Georgia Southern 9-0 on Sunday afternoon in a key Southern Conference game.  A strong pitching performance, which included 18 hitters retired in a row at one point, was a key factor in the Phoenix victory.

Kennedy, already the all-time winningest coach in Elon history, now boasts a career record of 500-347 in his 15-year career.

Said Kennedy, "It's not about me.  I care about our kids.  I want them to do well.  It's a great feeling because my kids just came up to me and shook my hand and gave me a hug.  That's what makes it special.  It's about our players and we've had some great ones come through here.  There have been a lot of them to get you to the 500 mark.  The neat thing about it that, over time, guys have gotten better and better.  There have been a lot of guys to come through this program.  Over time we've just had some very, very good players that have put us on the map.  There's been an attitude of winning around here and that's what I don't want to relinquish."

Jake Luce gave the Phoenix (26-16, 15-6 SoCon) the lead four pitches in as he led off the game with his second homer of the season, this one just inside the foul pole down the right field line.

Sebastian Gomez drew a walk to begin the Elon second, stole second and went to third on a ground out.  Eric Serra's line drive single to center then drove home Gomez as the Phoenix took a 2-0 lead.

Elon loaded the bases in the third with a walk to Luce, a single from Cyle Rasmus and Ryan Kinsella being hit by a pitch.  Neal Pritchard then gave the Phoenix a 4-0 edge with a single to left that plated both Luce and Rasmus.  A one-out walk to Gomez reloaded the bases before Seth Canipe's bouncer up the middle was fielded by the shortstop and flipped to second for one out.  The throw to first to try for the double play went into the dugout allowing a second run to score on the play and the Elon advantage reached 6-0.

Elon tacked on another when Rasmus lined a two-out single to left that scored Serra from third.

Pritchard made it an 8-0 Elon led in the seventh by belting a 1-0 pitch over the wall in left for his sixth homer of the season.

The final Phoenix run scored when Gomez ripped the first homer of his career, a solo shot in the ninth.

The loss dropped Georgia Southern to 24-16, 13-5.

Dylan Clark (1-3) picked up his first career win after hurling a career-best six shutout innings.  The lefty struck out two.  John Brebbia and Mitch Conner kept the Eagles off the board over the last three frames.  After a two-out single in the third, Elon did not allow another hit until there were two outs in the ninth inning.

Josh Adams (5-6) took the loss after allowing three runs on three hits in two innings.

Pritchard went 4-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI.  The performance was the first four-hit game of the senior's career.  Gomez finished the day 2-for-2 with two runs and one RBI while Rasmus was 2-for-4 with a run and one RBI for Elon.

Garren Palmer had two of Georgia Southern's six hits.

Elon will return home to host Wake Forest at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night.