Mayo goes 2-for-4

ELON, March 9, 2007 – The Elon Phoenix put together a seven-run sixth inning and held off a late flurry by the North Carolina A&T Aggies to earn a 15-10 victory in game two of a three-game non-conference baseball series from Latham Park on Saturday afternoon. The Phoenix now sits at 10-7 while the Aggies own a 2-11 record.

N.C. A&T got on the board first, scoring twice in the first off of Elon starter Zach Booker. Nick Mayo lined the first pitch of the game into right for a single before moving to second on a walk to Jeremy Jones. Charlie Gamble followed with a double to the wall in center, plating Mayo. With one out, Kory Kinnear grounded out to first, but Jones was able to score on the play.

The Phoenix answered right back in the bottom of the first. With one out, Adam Weaver grounded a ball through the left side of the infield and moved to second when Robert Rodebaugh was issued a walk. Chris Vasami lined the first pitch he saw from Tim Johnson over the wall in left-center to put Elon on top 3-2.

Elon’s lead grew to 4-2 in the third when Chris Dove stole home on a failed pickoff throw to first base.

The Aggies evened the score at four in the fifth inning. Joe Wade led off with a double down the rightfield line and moved to third on a ground out. C.J. Beatty’s fly ball to right was deep enough to allow Wade to tag and score the third A&T run of the game. After Mayo walked, Jones doubled on a perfectly executed hit-and-run to drive in Mayo.

Elon went back up by one in the bottom of the fifth when Jordy Snyder scored on a double play. The Phoenix erupted in its next at bat, scoring seven runs on five hits and one Aggie error. Chase Austin got things going with a double down the line in left and scored when Ryan Addison followed with a double to the same spot. Snyder’s bunt single put runners on the corners before Chris Dove knocked in Addison while reaching on a fielder’s choice that erased Snyder. After Dove stole second, Weaver lifted a fly ball to left that was dropped by Jones and left runners on second and third. Elon loaded the bases when Rodebaugh drew a walk and Vasami’s single to right allowed Dove to score. Pat Irvine earned an RBI when he drew a bases-loaded walk on a 3-2 pitch. Drew Davis then extended his hitting streak to 12 games by clearing the bases with a double down the leftfield line.

The Aggies did not go quietly, however, scoring twice in the top of the seventh to close the deficit to 12-6. Ty Gwyn got things going with a single up the middle. After a wild pitch, Gwyn moved to third on Beatty’s single. With one down, back-to-back walks to Jones and Gamble forced home Gwyn. A ground ball to second for the second out of the inning allowed Beatty to score the second A&T run of the frame.

Again the Phoenix responded to the Aggie threat, scoring its final three runs of the game in the bottom of the seventh. Addison was hit by a pitch to start the inning, swiped second and advanced to third on a ground out. Dove sent a 1-0 pitch back up the middle to knock in Addison. With two outs, Rodebaugh blasted a shot over the wall in left-center for two RBI.

A four-run eighth inning drew A&T to within five, but the Phoenix was able to hold off any further threat. Nelson Santos led off the inning by sending a 1-0 pitch over the wall in right-center. A walk and fielder’s choice put men on first and second for the Aggies before a ground out advanced both runners. A walk to Mayo loaded the bases and Jones followed with a two-RBI double to right-center. Joe McIntyre’s sac fly delivered the final run of the game before Tom Porter closed the door after coming in with the bases loaded and striking out Santos.

Booker (2-1) earned the win for Elon after hurling 6.1 innings and giving up six runs on seven hits. Porter earned his first save of the season after striking out four in 1.1 innings of work and not allowing a hit or walk.

Johnson (0-2) took the loss. He surrendered 10 runs (nine earned) on 10 hits in 5.1 innings of action.

At the plate, Vasami finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and four RBI while Davis ended 1-for-4 with three driven in. Dove tallied three hits in four at bats, scored three times and knocked home two. Weaver, Addison and Snyder also had two hits apiece for the Phoenix.

For N.C. A&T, Jones went 2-for-3 with a run scored and three RBI. Mayo was the only other Aggie with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with three runs scored.