Box Score

ELON, N.C. -- Facing its eighth top-30 foe in its 16th game of the season, the Elon Phoenix baseball program was dealt an 8-1 set-back by #19 North Carolina State at Latham Park on Tuesday night. 

For the first time this season Elon (10-6) surrendered double-digit hits as the Wolfpack (12-3) picked up 11 hits in the game.

NC State took a 1-0 lead in the first when Brett Austin singled home Trea Turner.

Elon answered with its lone run of the contest in the bottom of the third.  Sebastian Gomez led things off with a single up the middle and stole second before a Jake Luce single put runners on the corners.  Alex Swim picked up the RBI with a sacrifice fly to knot the score.

The undoing for the Phoenix was in the fourth inning.  With one out, a walk and single put two men aboard.  Jake Fincher followed with a triple into right-center to drive home both runners.  The inning was extended on a dropped third strike with two outs and the Wolfpack took advantage.  One run scored on that play before Andrew Ciencin connected on his third home run of the season to make it a 6-1 game.

The Wolfpack tacked on single runs in both the sixth and ninth innings to complete the scoring.

Swim collected two of Elon's seven hits on the night to extend his hitting streak to nine games.

Jim Stokes (1-2) took the loss after giving up six runs (three earned) on six hits in 3.2 innings.  He fanned a career-high five hitters.

Picking up the win for NC State was Vance Williams (1-0).  Williams tossed five innings and allowed just one run on five hits.

Elon will play again in less than 24 hours as the Phoenix makes the short trip to Greensboro, N.C., to face the North Carolina A&T Aggies in a 3 p.m. contest.