Elon Baseball Splits Pair to Take Series From #22 UNCW

ELON, N.C. – The Elon baseball team did something that only one other team had done this year, and that’s win a series against the 22nd-ranked UNCW Seahawks. The Phoenix and Seahawks split a Sunday doubleheader as Elon took game one 9-3 before UNCW won the nightcap by a 14-6 margin. Florida State was the only other squad to win a series against UNCW this year.

Elon now stands at 22-20 overall and is 11-7 in CAA play. UNCW moved to 29-11, 12-3.

On the day, Elon’s Nick Zammarelli went a combined 5-for-7 with a three-run homer, six RBI and two runs scored. Chris King hit home runs in both games of the doubleheader, upping his season total to 12 dingers.

Zach Shields was 5-for-10 with a home run three runs scored and three RBI to lead the Seahawks.

In game one, Lucas Bakker (4-5) picked up the win by allowing three runs on eighth hits in 5.2 innings. Sean Byrnes (1-1) took the loss for Elon in game two. He surrendered three runs on five hits in 2.1 innings out of the bullpen.

UNCW’s Ryan Foster (4-1) suffered the defeat in game one as he was charged with seven runs (four earned) on seven hits in just three innings. Jordan Ramsey (4-1) garnered the win out of the bullpen in game two. Ramsey did not allow a run on three hits in two innings.

Up next: Elon will travel to face the Davidson Wildcats at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28.

Game 1
How it happened: A four-run second inning gave Elon a 6-3 lead. The Phoenix got it all started with two outs as Austin Leeney doubled to right-center and scored on a Casey Jones single. Once Jones swiped second, Kory Shumate delivered an RBI single that put the maroon and gold on top, 4-3. After an error, Zammarelli drilled a 2-2 pitch to left-center to drive in two more runs. Elon added one in the fourth on a Cooper sac fly and two in the fifth on a King home run.

Inside the box score: The Phoenix was 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position … Elon pitchers recorded just one ground ball out.

Game 2
How it happened: UNCW erased a 3-0 deficit in the third inning thanks to a wild pitch, RBI single by Luke Dunlap and an RBI triple from Terence Connelly. The Seahawks put the game out of reach with a five-run sixth.

Inside the box score: Elon starter Mike Krill was making his second start of the week after earning the starting nod on Tuesday at UNCG … Zammarelli had four of Elon’s 11 hits.

Notes: Elon won a series against a ranked opponent for the first time since a two-game sweep of #5 Clemson in March of 2010 … The Phoenix now has 26 wins over top-25 teams since the start of the 1999 campaign.