Box Score

ELON, N.C. -- Elon chipped away at a five-run deficit over its final few at bats, but could not complete the comeback and dropped an 11-9 decision to the Western Carolina Catamounts at Latham Park on Sunday night. 

Elon (27-23, 16-10 Southern Conference) stranded 15 runners, including leaving the bases loaded three times, as it lost a home SoCon series for the first time since April of 2010.  The Phoenix had won 11 straight league series at Latham Park.

A Ross Heffley homer gave Western Carolina (29-17, 13-10) a 1-0 lead in the top of the first before the Phoenix tied it in the bottom half when Joey Tomko drew a walk with the bases loaded.

The Catamounts extended their lead to 5-1 with two runs in both the second and fourth innings before Elon closed its deficit to 5-4 in the last of the fourth.  The first run scored on a throwing error on a Sebastian Gomez infield single.  Alex Swim then drove home Gomez with a single of his own before later scoring on a Tomko single.

The maroon and gold grabbed the lead in the fifth as Swim dropped a double down the left field line to plate both Quinn Bower and Blaine Bower.

Western quickly reseized the lead, scoring six times in the sixth.  Only one of the runs was earned as Elon committed three errors in the inning.

Elon tried to chip away at the Catamount advantage, scoring once in the sixth on a Chris Bresnahan sac fly that was nearly a three-run homer.  The Phoenix added another in the eighth on a Bresnahan single, but would leave the bases loaded in that inning.

Gomez started the last of the ninth with a double to left-center and went to third on a ground out before making it 11-9 on a Ryan Kinsella.  Tomko picked up his third hit of the night to put the tying run aboard, but a double play ended the Elon threat and the game.

Jordan Darnell (1-2) took the loss as he allowed six runs (one earned) on four hits in an inning.  Ryan Pennell threw 3.2 scoreless innings to keep Elon in the game.  He matched a career-high with five strike outs.

For the second straight night Jon Nadale (4-2) picked up the win.  Nadale gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits in 2.1 innings.  Preston Hatcher earned his second save of the series and his 10th of the season by recording the final six outs.

Elon will look to salvage the series in game three which begins at 2:30 p.m. on Monday afternoon.