Box Score

ELON, N.C. -- Grant McCoury hit a fifth-inning grand slam while David Whitehead turned in seven strong innings as the Elon Phoenix upended the visiting Old Dominion Monarchs 9-4 from Latham Park on Tuesday night.

Elon (19-11) loaded the bases without the benefit of a hit to start the first inning as Harry Austin and Alex Swim both walked around Niko Fraser being hit by a pitch, but failed to score as Ben Verlander got an infield fly and a double play to end the threat.

A leadoff double from Nathan Hartman turned into an ODU (14-16) run when, after a wild pitch, Hartman scored on a RBI ground out  from Kenny Stoneback.

Hartman grounded a one-out single into left field and went to second as, with two away, Stoneback reached on a passed ball on strike three.  An error on the play sent Hartman to third.  Brandon Shelton pushed the Monarchs' advantage to 2-0 with a single to center that plated Hartman.

Four straight two-out walks – to Swim, Neal Pritchard, Ryan Kinsella and then Garrett Koster – got Elon on the board in the last of the fifth. McCoury then cleared the bases by belting a 2-0 pitch deep over the wall in left for his first career grand slam that put the Phoenix in front 5-2.  The homer was the third of the year for McCoury and the first hit of the game for Elon.

With Whitehead out of the game, the Phoenix bullpen issued three straight walks to Shelton, Brent Frazier and Joshua Wright before Christopher Baker lined a single to right to make it a 5-3 game in the top of the eighth.  Shawn Sizemore followed by drawing a four-pitch walk to force home Frazier with ODU's fourth run of the night.  Dylan Clark then fanned both pinch-hitter Ty Yesensky and Hartman before John Brebbia came on to retire Edgar Hernandez on a fly ball to right to end the inning.

Elon extended its advantage to 9-4 in the last of the eighth.  Cyle Rasmus got things going with a walk, stole second and moved to third on a ground out.  Austin then blooped a ball into shallow right over the drawn in infield to score Rasmus.  Austin then swiped second and third, giving the senior 70 steals for his career and moving him to fourth in program history in that category.  Fraser's single through the drawn in infield plated Austin with the second run of the frame.  The speedy outfielder picked up the Phoenix's seventh stolen base of the night when he swiped second.  Fraser scored the eighth run of the game as Swim tripled to center before Pritchard lined a single to left to cap the scoring.

Whitehead (2-0) picked up the victory after allowing just two runs (one earned) on three hits in his seven innings.  The freshman walked two and struck out five.  Brebbia earned his second save of the year with 1.1 perfect frames.

Verlander (1-2) took the loss in his first career start, but did not allow a hit in 4.2 innings as the ODU starter.  Verlander was plagued by seven walks and three hit batters and ended up being charged with three runs.

McCoury drove in a career-best four runs with his blast while Pritchard had Elon's only two-hit day, going 2-for-3 with a run and one RBI.  His two-hit night upped Pritchard's career hit total to 200.  Elon's seven steals matched a season-high as Austin and Fraser both swiped two bags while Rasmus took a career-best three bases.

Two of ODU's four hits on the night were tallied by Hartman who finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

Elon will be right back on the diamond tomorrow night in a 6 p.m. game at East Carolina.  That game is a make-up of last week's rained out contest.