Box Score

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Elon rallied for three runs with two outs in the top of the ninth and then scored another two in the top of the 12th to earn a hard-fought 8-6 decision over The Citadel to complete a three-game Southern Conference baseball sweep on Sunday afternoon. 

The Phoenix improved to 33-18 overall and 21-6 in SoCon play and inched closer to claiming the 2011 SoCon crown.  The Bulldogs fell to 20-27, 8-16.

Elon went into the top of the ninth down 5-3 before putting together a two-out rally that began with a Niko Fraser single.  Jake Luce followed with another single before Sebastian Gomez lined a single to left that drove home Fraser.  The throw to third to try and get pinch-runner Eric Serra was wild and he scored to tie the game at five.  With Gomez now on third, Neal Pritchard lined a single up the middle to put the Phoenix on top, 6-5.

The Bulldogs were then down to their final out in the last of the ninth when Brad Felder connected for his sixth homer of the year off of the foul pole down the left field line.

With one out in the top of the 12th, Elon loaded the bases with a single from Alex Swim, a fielder's choice that allowed Seth Canipe to reach, and a Garrett Koster hit-by-pitch.  New pitcher TJ Clarkson walked home the go-ahead run on four pitches to Ben Scott.  Harry Austin made it an 8-6 game when Canipe tagged and scored on a sac fly to center.

The Citadel took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second.  With Justin Mackert on second after a lead-off double, Grant Richards ripped a two-out double down the left field line to drive in the run.

Scott began the Elon third with a single up the middle and then just beat a throw to second on a ground ball off the bat of Fraser with one out.  Luce then tied the game with a double just inside the third base bag that plated Scott.  Gomez's line drive single to left gave the Phoenix the lead as Fraser scored.  On the throw in, Gomez headed to second.  The lead reached 3-1 when Pritchard hit a sac fly to center to plate Luce.

Josh Pless singled to right to get things going for The Citadel in the last of the third.  After Nick Orvin walked, a failed pick-off attempt at second went as an Elon error as both runners moved up.  Felder picked up one RBI on a grounder to first that scored Pless.  A wild pitch then allowed Orvin to score to tie the score at three.

With two outs in the fifth, Felder singled ahead of a walk to Matt Simonelli.  Mackert then singled to left and as Felder raced home, Elon appeared to tag out Simonelli at third, but he was ruled safe and the run scored to move The Citadel in front.

Grant Richards extended the Bulldog lead to 5-3 when he lined an 0-2 pitch over the left field wall for his first homer of the year to begin the bottom of the sixth.

David Whitehead threw a scoreless 11th to earn the win and improve to 5-1 while Jared Kernodle tossed a perfect ninth to garner his first save of the year.  Phoenix starter Dylan Clark went five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits while striking out four.

Jeremy Long fell to 4-3 after he gave up two runs on three hits in 2.2 innings.

Four Elon players tallied multi-hit games.  The offense was led by Gomez (3-for-6, one run, two RBI), Fraser (2-for-5, two runs), Luce (2-for-4, one run, one RBI) and Kinsella (2-for-4).

Felder, Mackert and Richards all had two-hit games for The Citadel.  Both Felder and Richards drove in two.

Elon will return to the diamond on Tuesday night with a 6 p.m. game at Old Dominion before breaking for final exams.