A rough-going on offense Friday, a struggle all-around on Saturday and another dismal day Sunday provided enough for the Elon University baseball team to be swept in Southern Conference play for the first time since March 2010.
The Phoenix lost 5-1 Friday and 12-3 Saturday to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and took a 13-4 defeat on Sunday to end the series.
Elon swept UNCG a year ago on the road as well. The Phoenix has now lost four straight games and five of its last six.
The Spartans struck first with one run in the second, but Elon took a 2-1 lead in the third. Freshman Chris Hall and junior Andy Moore singled to get things going before junior Quinn Bower singled in a run. Two batters later, a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior Casey Jones brought in another run.
UNCG tied in the fourth and broke the game open with five runs in the fifth inning. Junior Hunter King hit a three-run home run which was followed by a triple from junior L.J. Kalawaia. Junior Tyler Long then doubled in a run and Jake Kusz brought in a run on a sacrifice bunt.
In the sixth, the Spartans added four more to go up 11-2. Junior Jordan McDonald doubled in two runs, Long doubled one in and freshman Julian Abreu singled up the middle to add one more.
Elon got two back in the seventh on a single by Jones and a bases loaded walk by senior Sebastian Gomez, but UNCG came back with two more in the eighth.
Junior Jake Stalzer takes the loss for Elon after five innings in which he allowed seven runs on nine hits. Hall came on in relief but lasted just 0.2 of an inning, surrendering four runs on four hits.
In all, Elon gave up 30 runs in the three games and struck out 27 times.
Elon is 25-19 and 11-10 in the SoCon, good for fifth place in the league. The Phoenix will host Coastal Carolina University at 6:30 p.m. April 29.