CHARLESTON, S.C. ? Jeremiah Parker (Carrollton/Carrollton) hit two home runs for the second consecutive game but it was not enough to overcome Elon's offensive outburst, losing 14-7 Wednesday at Riley Park.
The Eagles (33-27 overall) will play at 1 p.m. Thursday against the loser of seventh-seed The Citadel and second-seed Western Carolina.
The Phoenix plated a run in the first inning. Adam Weaver hit a leadoff double and Chris Dove reached on a bunt single. Dove, who leads the SoCon in stolen bases, was nailed trying to steal second when catcher Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius) threw down to shortstop Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell). Pat Irvine then delivered a RBI groundout.
A rally with two down in the second inning put the Eagles ahead. After Steven Hensley retired the first two batters, Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) hit a solo homer to straightaway centerfield. At the time he moved into a share of the team-lead with Parker hitting his 10th. Benedict walked and scored on A.J. Wirnsberger's (Tuscaloosa, AL/Paul Bear Bryant) double. That double was the Eagles' 139th this year, tying for second-most in program history. Pierce lined a RBI single, just his second RBI in the last 11 games, for a 3-1 lead.
Elon (30-27) used a two-out rally of its own to regain the lead. A sacrifice fly followed by a two-out RBI bloop double tied the game. Aaron Eubanks (Moultrie/Colquitt County) walked two batters to load the bases. Irvine hit a grand slam, the first one allowed by Georgia Southern pitching this year.
The Phoenix scored three more runs in the fifth, extending the lead to 10-3. Parker regained the team home run lead from Shehan, hitting a solo shot to start the sixth. His round-tripper cut the deficit to 10-4.
However, Elon scored once in the sixth and three more times in the seventh ? two on a fielding error with two outs ? to make it a 10-run lead.
Pierce singled to start the ninth, his third career 3-hit game. Justin Klinger (Hatfield, PA/North Penn) walked then with two outs Parker hammered a shot to deep centerfield. That was his 12th home run this year and fifth in the last four games.
Eubanks (3-5) was charged for seven runs on seven hits in 1.2 innings, walking two Phoenix. Drew Murray (LaGrange/LaGrange) was charged for three runs in 2.2 innings. A.J. Battisto (Pottstown, PA/Pottsgrove) held the Phoenix without a hit over the last 1.1 innings.
Hensley (8-5) gave up four runs on seven hits in seven innings. He struck out eight and walked three. Chase Austin hit three doubles, scored three runs and drove in two. Vasami finished 1-for-4 with five RBI. Dove also tallied three hits.
