RALEIGH — Amid a bizarre week filled with snow and postponements, the sense of unpredictability hung around the Elon University baseball team during its season opener against the University of Cincinnati.

With new players filling big shoes and others stepping up, the Phoenix earned a 6-5 victory in 10 innings at Doak Field at Dail Park on the campus of North Carolina State University.

After surrendering a three-run lead with two outs in the ninth, it was sophomore catcher Danny Lynch who came through with a double to centerfield to score junior designated hitter Chris King in the bottom of the tenth for the victory.

Lynch jumped on a two-strike changeup after a pitch that Lynch said hit him, but the umpires did not see.Cincy box 1

“I was just looking for a pitch to drive,” Lynch said. “I got lucky. I got a second chance and I said to myself, ‘I need to take advantage here.’”

Lynch was 3 for 5 on the day, but Elon coach Mike Kennedy was thrilled with more than just Lynch’s plate performance.

“That’s the first time he’s ever caught,” Kennedy said. “I’m more impressed with that than that big hit. He’ll get more of those. But for the first time he’s ever caught a game and be that good back there and stick pitches and do a good job, he was outstanding.”

Sophomore Michael Elefante gets the win after pitching the last two innings, but junior starter Lucas Bakker put the Phoenix in a position to win. In his first career Division I start, Bakker went six innings allowing one run on one hit while striking out seven.

The Australia native spent the last two seasons pitching at North Iowa Area Community College. He battled through a fourth inning in which he walked two and threw a wild pitch to hold the Bearcats to one run, much thanks to senior leftfielder Justin Glass missing first base on an RBI double. Bakker had a no-hitter until the start of the sixth inning.

“I just concentrated,” Bakker said of the fourth inning. “I just wanted to get contact — that’s all I was looking for. I didn’t really necessarily look to punch every guy out. But again, I want to get ahead and just try and draw that contact.”

Elon led, 5-2, entering the ninth and had Cincinnati down to its final out when the tides turned. Sophomore centerfielder Will Drake singled to left field and senior rightfielder Matt Williams reached on an error before sophomore shortstop Ian Happ doubled to left center, scoring two. Glass then was hit by the pitch and sophomore second baseman Colin Hawk singled before advancing on an error which scored Happ to tie things up.

MORE: Young Elon team aims to continue rich tradition

Elon senior second baseman Sebastian Gomez singled with two outs in the bottom half of the ninth, but was caught trying to steal second base which sent the game to extras. The four errors the Phoenix committed were concerning to Kennedy, citing those as reasons why Cincinnati clawed back into the game.

“Defensively, we just weren’t good,” Kennedy said. “The thing we’ve preached all year, preseason and the fall, is we’ve got to play better defense. We’re very young on that mound and we’re also beat up on that mound. So we’ve got to catch the ball if we’re going to be successful.”

The Phoenix didn’t give in, though, which Kennedy said he was pleased with. Elefante allowed just one hit in the tenth before Lynch had the game-winner in the bottom of the inning.

“At times, the dugout would fold and be rolling their eyes, but this team didn’t do that,” Kennedy said. “That’s new. I kind of like the competitive spirit. It was a different atmosphere in there and that was good to see.”

Elon took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on RBI hits from junior first baseman Casey Jones and junior centerfielder Ryan Cooper. Jones ripped a double into right field to scored junior rightfielder Quinn Bower and Cooper singled into left center two batters later for the early advantage.

Cincy w2w4 2The Bearcats would strike next in the fourth when Glass doubled off the wall in left to bring home Williams before Glass was ruled out due to missing first base. The Phoenix answered back in the bottom half of the inning when freshman third baseman Nick Zammarelli doubled home Lynch to increase the lead to 3-1.

Jones added to the lead in the fifth with his first career home run, sending a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left. After Cincinnati plated a run on an error in the seventh, Jones continued to produce by smacking a double into left field, scoring junior leftfielder Danny Crowe. Jones went 3 for 5 on the day with three runs batted in and two runs scored.

“This offseason, I worked out a lot and it turned out well for me,” Jones said. “It felt great at the plate, felt really comfortable. This new strength coach we have does a great job and really gets us ready to go and in shape.”

The teams were scheduled to play a three-game series at Latham Park Feb. 14-16, but the snow storm and field conditions forced them to play in Raleigh. Elon and Cincinnati will play there again Feb. 17 before the Phoenix hosts NC State Feb. 18.