Elon’s Harris, Phoenix MBB Down UNCG

ELON, N.C. – Matt Harris tied a career high with eight strikeouts and the Elon Phoenix offense put up an early five-run inning as the maroon and gold picked up a 7-3 victory over former conference rival UNCG from Latham Park on Wednesday afternoon.

Harris (1-0) scattered four hits and gave up two runs in six innings in his first start of the season. He finished his day by striking out the side in order in the top of the sixth inning. Joe McGillicuddy got the final four outs of the game, including two strikeouts, to secure his third save of the year.

UNCG (2-4) opened the scoring in the top of the first as Zac MacAneney’s leadoff single was followed by a Tyler Long homer down the right field line.

Elon (5-2), which had scored in the first inning in each of its first six games, would even the score in the last of the second. A dropped fly ball in center allowed Nick Zammarelli to reach base and Joey Tomko, who had started the inning with a single, to score. With runners on the corners, Austin Leeney lifted a sacrifice fly to center that plated Zammarelli with the tying run.

The Phoenix would open the game up in the third, scoring five times. Quinn Bower got it started with an infield single and headed to third on a Kory Shumate double. Casey Jones followed and lined a 2-1 pitch to left to score both runners and give Elon the 4-2 advantage. After a wild pitch and throwing error sent Jones to third, Zammarelli’s one-out ground out brought home Jones to make it 5-2. Back-to-back singles from Ryan Cooperand Chris King put runners on the corners. Elon then pulled off a double steal for its sixth run of the game. King would score on a Leeney single.

The game remained 7-2 until the top of the eighth when Eric Kalbfleisch singled home a run. The Spartans would threaten for more in the inning, but Elon was able to strand three UNCG runners when McGillicuddy induced a ground ball force out at third.

The loss went to Julian Abreu (0-1) who allowed all seven runs (five earned) on eight hits in just 2.2 innings of work.

Elon will be back at home this weekend, as the Phoenix will host Wagner in a three-game series beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday.

One thought on “Elon’s Harris, Phoenix MBB Down UNCG

  1. I have UNCG twice already. They are not fundamentally sound and maybe the weakest team they fielded in 10 years. Where is Gaski!

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