One grueling extra-inning game between the Elon University baseball team and conference rival Furman University wasn’t enough, as the Phoenix and Paladins played another exciting, back-and-forth marathon of a game just a day later on Saturday, March 2. This time, Elon emerging from the rubble of a three hour plus game with a 5-4 victory.
“I thought we played well at the beginning,” starting pitcher Kyle Webb said. “We got a little tight toward the end. In the extra-inning games, especially coming off an extra inning loss last night, I think we were a little tense today. It’s going to be a lot of help to get this win, just to loosen us up for tomorrow.”Webb, who went five and two-thirds innings giving up three runs on seven hits, tying his career high in strikeouts with eight, shut Furman out in the tops of the first and second, recording three strikeouts in that span.
Elon’s offense, however, couldn’t capitalize and Furman scored the game’s first run in the top of the 3rd inning. With two outs and nobody on, Webb gave up a single to Paladins shortstop Hunter Burton, who then stole second. Right fielder Taylor Johnson walked, setting up first baseman Paul Nitto’s booming double down the left field line, scoring Burton. Webb retired the next Paladins hitters on groundouts, but the damage was done.
Elon responded in the bottom of the third. With two outs and no one on, junior second baseman Sebastian Gomez singled and stole second. Gomez would have scored on freshman shortstop Antonio Alvarez’s single through the left side, but tripped between second and third, forcing him to hold at third. The Phoenix still had a chance, but senior right fielder Alex Swim grounded out to end the scoring threat.
The Phoenix would break through in the bottom of the fourth, getting help from Paladins second baseman Jordan Simpson, whose error allowed leadoff hitter Ryan Kinsella to reach first base. Left fielder Casey Jones then singled into right, putting runners on first and second.
Danny Lynch, trying to advance both runners into scoring position, bunted the ball right to Paladins pitcher Elliot Warford, who threw wildly to 3rd base trying to get the lead runner and sailed the ball past Chris Ohmstede. Kinsella had hesitated rounding third though and was thrown out at home.
“It’s very frustrating seeing guy after guy up there and not come through, but it’s baseball and you just move on from game to another,” Kinsella said. “Tomorrow, the missed chances don’t matter and we just need to step up when the chances arise.”
Elon would, however, push across a run two plays later. Sophomore Chris King grounded to second base, which scored Jones, who advanced to third when Kinsella was thrown out at home, and knotted the game at one.
In the sixth, Webb gave up singles to two of the first three batters of the inning, setting Furman up with runners on first and second and one out. Webb, who was at that point over 100 pitches, struck out Jake jones and was then taken out by head coach Mike Kennedy, who congratulated Webb on his gutsy performance.
“I told him ‘thanks for pitching so well today, you’re out of there,’” Kennedy joked. “It was just time for him to go, he had a good outing. He battled, he competed for us, but his pitch count was up. Let’s turn it over and hopefully the bullpen will pick you up.”
Kennedy’s strategy didn’t come to fruition. After a walk loaded up the bases, junior Ryan Pennell’s fourth pitch to Jordan Simpson was ripped up the middle off Gomez’s glove and into right center, scoring two and putting Furman up 3-1. Both runs were charged to Webb.
Elon would respond, scoring three runs in the bottom or the inning to retake the lead. It began with Swim ripping a 1-2 pitch from Warford into right center for a double. Kinsella, up next, took a 0-1 fastball over the batter’s eye in straightaway center, a bomb that tied the game at three.
The Phoenix weren’t done. After Jones flew out to left field, Lynch and King pounded back-to-back singles to put runners on first and third with one out. The hit, King’s first career base knock, chased Warford from the game.
The new Paladins hurler, Drake Browne, would limit the damage. Phoenix senior third baseman Chris Bresnahan would hit a sac fly to center, scoring Lynch and giving Elon a one run lead.
The lead wouldn’t last long. Sophomore pitcher John Antonelli, who came in to relieve Pennell in the sixth, surrendered the lead in the top of the eighth. After allowing a single to Ohmstede and hitting left fielder Jake Jones with a pitch, Antonelli threw a wild pitch, which allowed the runners to advance to second and third.
After getting the second out on a comebacker, Antonelli hit Simpson, and the ball ricocheted to Kinsella’s right, allowing Ohmstede to score the tying run.
“Our bullpen hasn’t been too good,” Kennedy said. “We haven’t had guys assume roles yet and take over. We just haven’t been efficient and been clean out of that pen. Hopefully that’ll turn around.”
The game stayed knotted at four through the ninth, tenth and eleventh innings. In the top of the ninth, Swim, in hisfirst career appearance on the hill, got the last two outs of the inning on a flyout and, after walking Nitto, picked him off first.
Elon finally broke the stalemate in the bottom of the twelfth. Alvarez walked and stole second, then Swim was intentionally walked, setting the table for Kinsella who ripped the first pitch he saw past the dive of Furman first baseman Paul Nitto and into right field. Alvarez scored, barely, to even the series up at one apiece.
“There’s no better feeling than being the guy to get the hit and being the guy to score the last run,” Kinsella said. “First I hit it and I was just hoping it got past the first baseman. When it did, I hoped it was soft enough that the right fielder couldn’t get to it and be fast enough to throw Alvarez out at home.”
Elon moves to 5-4 overall and 1-1 in conference while the Paladins move to 7-3, 1-1 in the Southern Conference. The result sets up a rubber match tomorrow, March 3, at 1:30 p.m. with the winner taking the weekend series. A game Webb knows is pivotal to his team’s season.
“One game can make or break a season,” Webb said. “We saw that last year when we lost two of three to Furman and ended up losing the conference by one game. So every game matters, and especially a rubber match game like tomorrow.”