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Western loses two of three conference games to Elon
Western Carolina’s baseball team opened the Southern Conference portion of its schedule by losing two of three games over the weekend at Elon.
The Phoenix opened the series Friday with a 13-10 victory in a slugfest. Elon’s Chris Vasami was four of five while Chris Price and Ryan Addison both went three of five.
Elon went up 2-0 in the first on an RBI single by Price and Patrick Irvine’s sacrifice fly.
Western tied it 2-2 in the third on RBI doubles by Steven Strausbaugh and Trey McDaniel.
The Catamounts (6-8) took a 3-2 edge in the fifth on Jonathan Greene’s sacrifice fly.
Elon responded with five runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 7-3 lead. Irvine and Robert Rodebaugh had RBI singles, and Paul Bennett delivered a two-run double. Another run scored during a rundown.
Grey Gregory’s homer cut the gap to 7-4 in the sixth.
The Phoenix extended the margin to 10-4 in the bottom of the sixth on Price’s two-run double and Grant Rembert’s sacrifice fly.
Strausbaugh’s homer started a five-run seventh bringing WCU within 10-9. Gregory was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Donnie Wilson singled in a pair of runs. Tim Hallam drove in a run with an infield out.
RBI singles by Price and Vasami and a bases-loaded walk to Rembert gave Elon a 13-9 advantage in the bottom of the seventh.
Blake Murphy’s homer accounted for the final run in the eighth.
Wilson led WCU’s offense by going three of five. Strausbaugh, McDaniel, Murphy and Gregory all had two hits.
Lance Cole pitched six innings for the win. Tom Porter recorded the last three outs for the save.
WCU starter Brian McCullen (0-1) took the loss.
Western bounced back Saturday with a 6-1 win behind the pitching of Tyler Sexton (3-1). He struck out 11 in eight innings while allowing seven hits and a walk and was named the league’s pitcher of the week.
McDaniel was four of five with three RBIs, and Hallam was three of four.
McDaniel’s RBI single put Western up 1-0 in the first.
The Cats made it 3-0 in the third on Murphy’s two-run triple.
Elon got on the board in the fourth on Addison’s RBI single.
Western went up 5-1 in the fifth as McDaniel homered with a man on base.
WCU scored the final run in the eighth on Hallam’s RBI single.
Elon starter Ryan Basham suffered the loss.
Donny Jobe and Price both had two hits for the Phoenix.
Elon pounded the Cats 16-3 in Sunday’s rubber game. Jobe, Vasami and Jordy Snyder all had three hits while Price added two.
Western struck first as Strausbaugh hit a two-run homer in the opening frame.
The Phoenix made it 2-1 in the bottom of the first on Price’s RBI double.
Elon took charge with a five-run third to go up 6-2. Vasami tripled in two runs and scored on a balk, and Rodebaugh delivered a two-run double.
WCU got a run back in the fourth on McDaniel’s homer.
The Phoenix took a 10-3 advantage on Price’s grand slam in the bottom of the fourth.
The margin reached 13-3 in the fifth as Vasami’s double cleared the bases.
An error allowed another run to score in the sixth making it 14-3.
Jobe’s RBI single and a bases-loaded walk to John Walker accounted for two more runs in the eighth.
Matt Chastain pitched the first six innings for the win.
Gregory had two hits for the Cats.
WCU starter Brock Thornburg (1-1) took the loss.
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