The Elon University baseball team could not hold off the visiting College of Charleston Cougars on Sunday, as the team lost 8-3 at Latham Park. The team also lost to Charleston on Friday and Saturday.
Head coach Mike Kennedy said he is not very optimistic about the team’s upcoming games if the team continues playing at this level.
“We are probably playing our worst baseball,” Kennedy said.
The Phoenix started the game off strong, as a first inning bunt from sophomore center fielder Justin Casella scored redshirt sophomore second baseman Connor Coolahan to put Elon ahead 1-0.
Redshirt sophomore pitcher Shea Sprague started for Elon and kept the Cougars scoreless for the first two innings. However, the Cougars tied the game in the third inning with an RBI single. The Cougars could not be stopped after that, as they scored three runs in the top of the fourth after an Elon error and a home run to make the score 4-1.
After the Cougars switched pitchers in the bottom of the fifth, an error at home plate gave sophomore first baseman Cole Reynolds just enough time to sneak home. The Cougars then failed on a double play attempt, and freshman left fielder Charlie Granatell snuck home to make the score 4-3.
Following the loss, Granatell said the team needs to play like it did in the fifth inning if it is going to rebound in upcoming games.
“We have to flip the page really quickly,” Granatell said.
The Phoenix brought in redshirt junior pitcher Kyle Greenler in the top of the sixth, but the Cougars scored two more runs on the team's second home run of the day. Elon brought in redshirt sophomore Trevor Kirk to replace Greenler, but the Cougars quickly scored two more runs to make the score 8-3.
Charleston entered the game in first place in the Colonial Athletic Association. Kennedy said Elon did not execute well enough throughout the weekend series to challenge them.
“That’s a good ball club,” Kennedy said. “They don’t make mistakes.”
According to Granatell, Elon needs to improve in all areas offensively as it continues its conference schedule.
“We’ve got to be better with our at bats, we’ve got to be better at the pitches we are swinging at and we have to be better with runners in scoring position,” Granatell said.
Elon travels for a three-game series against the University of North Carolina Wilmington Seahawks next weekend with the first game scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m.