On a windy afternoon at Latham Park, the Elon University baseball team got back to .500 (8-8) by defeating the Virginia Tech Hokies, 4-3. Coming off of three straight losses, the Phoenix needed to bounce back in a big way. They got what they needed in a quality start by junior right-hander Jacob Baker and a go-ahead 3-run home run from first baseman Ryan Kinsella in the bottom of the 7th inning.
Baker had only pitched 1.2 innings on the year before his start Wednesday, March 13, but that didn’t stop him from quieting Virginia Tech’s bats. He tossed five solid innings giving up just one hit and allowing two runs, one of them earned, and striking out four.
“He’s got a great arm and he’s got great stuff,” said Elon head coach Mike Kennedy. “He just has to throw strikes. If he throws strikes, he’s capable of doing what he did today quite regularly.”
Baker’s only rough inning came in the top of the second when Virginia Tech sophomore right fielder Mark Zagunis started a rally with a walk. Baker then hit the next batter with a pitch. Sophomore Brendon Hayden reached base on a fielder’s choice, and Zagunis scored the first run of the game on a bases-loaded walk. Hayden then scored on a throwing error by Elon junior shortstop Antonio Alvarez. Other than the second inning, Baker was dominant on the mound, shutting down the Hokies’ offense.
The Phoenix offense had similar misfortune in the early innings. Sophomore starting pitcher Sean Keselica threw six innings allowing zero runs on six hits.
“We were having good at-bats and putting good swings on the ball,”said sophomore center fielder Quinn Bower. “They just weren’t falling.”
After struggling to drive home baserunners in the first six innings, the Phoenix’ bats came alive in the seventh.
Freshman designated hitter Chris Schaedel led off the inning with a line drive single to left center field. Sophomore right fielder Blaine Bower then reached first on a bunt that drew first baseman Gary Schneider off the bag. Bower’s twin brother, Quinn, batted next and laid a bunt down the third baseline, reaching first to load the bases.
Sophomore third baseman Joey Tomko then hit a sacrifice fly to drive home Schaedel and cut the deficit to one run. Two batters later, first baseman Ryan Kinsella hit a high fly ball to left field that the strong winds carried over the fence.
“It was a good day to hit one in the air on that side of the field with the wind blowing pretty good,” Kennedy said. “They hung him a breaking ball and it went out for us.
Kinsella’s three-run homer gave the Phoenix a 4-2 lead they would hold onto for good.
“I’ve been struggling a little bit, so it was a great feeling to get a big hit in a big situation,” Kinsella said.
After Virginia Tech scored a run on another error in the eighth inning, Kennedy brought in senior right-hander Nate Young to close out the game in the top of the ninth. Young gave up a single to lead off the ninth. Sophomore shortstop Alex Perez then hit a high fly ball down the left field line. Phoenix left fielder Sebastian Gomez made a spectacular running catch right next to the wall for the first out. Young then retired the next two batters to convert the save opportunity, his fourth of the year.
“We needed a win and we got it,” Kennedy said. “It’s a good win for our program, and hopefully we’ll get a little bit of positive energy going in to the weekend.”
The Phoenix will face Southern Conference rival University of North Carolina at Greensboro in a three-game series on the road this weekend. First pitch on Friday, March 15 is set for 6:00 p.m.