UNCW - 2019 CAA Baseball Championship
UNCW Captures Sixth CAA Baseball Championship With Dramatic 6-5 Win Over Elon
Rob Washburn
Box Score Highlights Mark Scalf interview Noah Liles/Kep Brown interviews Photo Gallery
HARRISONBURG, Va. (May 26, 2019) – Noah Liles’ RBI double with two outs in the 10
th inning lifted fifth-seeded UNCW to a dramatic 6-5 victory over #1 Elon to capture the 2019 CAA Baseball Championship on Sunday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Park.
It was the sixth CAA title for the Seahawks, all of which have come under legendary head coach Mark Scalf, who is retiring after 28 seasons at his alma mater. UNCW (32-29) became the first back-to-back CAA champions since 2003 and the first #5 seed to claim the crown since the Seahawks did it in 2006.
Elon, which captured the CAA regular-season championship for the first time, ended its year with a 33-24 mark.
The third meeting between the two teams in four days provided plenty of drama. UNCW took a 4-3 lead into the ninth inning and added to it when Cole Weiss’ RBI double to left brought in Greg Jones.
However, Elon fought back in the bottom half. Joe Satterfield drew a one-out walk and Cam Devanney singled. Ty Adcock followed with a two-run double to the gap in left-center that tied the game at 5-5.
In the first extra-inning CAA championship game, UNCW was able to pull back in front in the 10
th. Chris Thorburn singled with two outs and advanced to second on a wild pitch. That set the stage for Liles, who lined a double into the right-field corner and plated Thorburn with the winning run.
Henry Ryan (4-4) earned the victory after throwing the final 1.2 innings, including coming on to record the final two outs with two runners aboard in the ninth.
After generating just one hit through the first three innings, UNCW got its offense going in the fourth. Weiss and Kep Brown singled and Noah Bridges followed with a base hit to left that plated Weiss. With two out, Chris Thorburn flared an RBI single to left that brought in Brown for a 2-0 Seahawks’ lead.
UNCW tacked on another run in the fifth. Jones drew a two-out walk and came all the way around to score on Weiss’ bloop double down the left-field line.
The Seahawks took advantage of an Elon miscue to extend their lead in the top of the sixth. Following a Bridges’ leadoff single, Phoenix pitcher Adcock misplayed Brooks Baldwin’s sacrifice bunt and then overthrew third base, allowing Bridges to score.
Elon, which was held to one hit and didn’t get a runner past second base over the first five frames, broke loose in the bottom of the sixth. Back-to-back, one-out doubles to right by Matt Oldham and Nick Cicci got the Phoenix on the board. Following an Adam Spurlin walk, Tyler Stanley sent an RBI single through the left side to make it 4-2. A two-out single by Anthony Galason plated Spurlin to pull Elon within one.
Weiss finished 3-for-5 with two RBI’s and a run scored, while Bridges and Thorburn each had a pair of hits and drove in a run. Jones, who was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Performer, reached base three times and scored twice.
For Elon, Galason, Devanney, Oldham and Stanley all contributed a pair of hits.
UNCW earns the CAA’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and will find out its opponent at Noon on Monday. It will the Seahawks’ 10
th NCAA Tournament appearance. Scalf’s six CAA championships are the most of any baseball coach in conference history.
CAA All-Tournament Team
Ty Adcock, Elon
Cam Devanney, Elon
Ian Fair, Northeastern
Jake Farrell, Northeastern
Dean McCarthy, Elon
Griffin McLarty, Charleston
Matt Oldham, Elon
Landen Roupp, UNCW
Zarion Sharpe, UNCW
Bodie Sheehan, William & Mary
Cole Weiss, UNCW
Most Outstanding Performer: Greg Jones, UNCW