Pat Irvine's two-run homer in the top of the 11th inning lifted the Elon Phoenix to a 13-11 Southern Conference baseball victory over the Western Carolina Catamounts, clinching the second consecutive league title for the Phoenix and the third in four years for the program.
The win, Elon’s 15th straight in league play, moved the Phoenix to 34-14 overall and 21-4 in SoCon action, equaling the program’s most-ever SoCon wins. Western dropped to 30-18, 16-8.
John Brebbia (1-0) earned his first career win after striking out the side in the 10th while Ken Ferrer picked up his first collegiate save by recording the final three outs.
Harry Austin’s infield single was followed by a walk to Cory Harrilchak to begin the first inning. Both runners then moved up on a wild pitch before Chase Austin’s bunt single scored Harry Austin with the first run of the day. The Phoenix loaded the bags with a walk to Irvine. Elon added two more when Bennett Davis singled home two with a ball off the 14-foot high wall in left.
Walks to Neal Pritchard and Harrilchak turned into a run when Chase Austin singled through the left side to drive home Pritchard with one away. After Harrilchak took third on a wild pitch before Irvine walked to load the bases. Harrilchak came in with Elon’s fifth run when Davis sent a sacrifice fly to left-center. Mike Melillo sent a 2-2 pitch deep to left and out for his 15th homer of the season as the Phoenix grabbed an 8-0 lead.
With two outs in the top of the third, Harry Austin and Cory Harrilchak each drew walks. After a double steal, Chase Austin singled to left to drive home both runners.
In the bottom of the third Mitchell Hatley and Trevor Collias singled with one out. The second out was recorded when Nick Liles lined out to third. On the play, Elon tried to double Hatley off of second, but the throw was off the mark allowing both runners to advance. Ross Heffley followed with a double down the left field line to score both runners, trimming the Catamount deficit to 10-2.
With Collias on second and Liles on first, Heffley doubled to right-center to score Collias with Western’s third run. Brent Greer’s infield single brought home Liles and put runners on the corners.
J.C. Lyons led off the Catamount sixth with a single to right, stole second and went to third on Reid Rollison’s ground out. Mitchell Hatley’s infield single brought in Lyons as the Cats closed within five at 10-5. Collias followed with a single to left before Liles singled to left to score Hatley. On the play, the throw to the plate was wide and both runners advanced. After Heffley walked to load the bases Brent Greer reached on a fielder’s choice that erased Collias at the plate. Stephen Notaro then walked to force home Liles. Matt Johns followed by lining a two-RBI single to right-center to move the Catamounts within just a run at 10-9.
The Phoenix got one back in the top of the seventh when Justin Hilt crushed his 15th homer of the year over the wall in left.
Heffley walked to begin the Western eighth before Greer singled through the left side. Notaro popped up a bunt for the first out before a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Johns’ sac fly to center scored Heffley and was deep enough to advance Greer to third. Another wild pitch uncorked by Thomas Girdwood allowed Greer to score to tie the game at 11.
Dylan de Graaf started the Catamount ninth with a single before stealing second with one out. After Collias struck out for the second out of the inning before Liles fanned to end the threat and force extra innings.
The bottom of the 10th began with a Heffley single before going to second on a two-out single from Johns. After a passed ball moved both runners up before Lyons looked at a called strike three.
With two down in the top of the 11th, Chase Austin singled up the middle before Irvine belted his 16th homer of the year over the 390 marker in dead center which put Elon up 13-11.
In the bottom of the 11th, de Graaf walked to put the lead off man on base. Hatley’s single through the right side put runners on the corners. On Collias’ strike out Hatley swiped second, putting the tying run in scoring position for Liles. After Liles popped out to short, Heffley grounded out to third to end the game.
Chase Austin tied a career-high with five hits. He also scored three runs and drove in four. Irvine was 2-for-4 with two scored and two driven in. Both Davis and Melillo finished with three RBI. Harry Austin went 1-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to a career-best 11 games while Harrilchak has now reached base safely in 81 straight games.
For Western, Heffley was 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBI. Johns drove in three with his 2-for-5 day. Hatley scored twice and drove in one with a 3-for-5 outing.