Clutch Hitting, Kirk's Pitching Allows Elon To Rally Past William & Mary, 7-3
Rob Washburn
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WILMINGTON, N.C. (May 26, 2021) – Third-seeded Elon used clutch two-out hitting and a tremendous pitching performance from freshman reliever Trevor Kirk to rally past #6 William & Mary, 7-3, in the second game of the 2021 CAA Baseball Championship on Wednesday afternoon at UNCW’s Brooks Field.
The Phoenix (22-20) advance to play #2 UNCW at 7 p.m. on Thursday night, while the Tribe (13-28) faces #5 Towson in an elimination game at 11 a.m. on Thursday morning.
Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the third, Elon scored seven unanswered runs with the first five coming with two outs. Freshman Alex Iadisernia went 3-for-4 with a RBI and run scored to pace the Phoenix offense. Jarrett Pico reached base all four times, going 2-for-2 with two runs scored, and Garrett Stonehouse finished 2-for-4.
Kirk (4-1) entered with two on and two on in the fourth and was able to work out of the jam to keep the deficit at three. He went on retire the first 11 batters he faced, and then capped his outing by recording his fifth strikeout after W&M had loaded the bases with the aid of two errors in the seventh.
William & Mary struck first with a pair of runs in the second. Tyler Solomon doubled to start the frame and Matt Thomas walked. A RBI single to right from Matt Trehub scored Solomon and a David Hogarth sacrifice fly brought in Thomas to put the Tribe on top, 2-0.
The Tribe added to its advantage in the top of the third when Matt McDermott led off the inning with his fifth homer of the season to left.
Elon began its climb back in the third. With two outs and one on, Tyler Cranston’s line drive double to the fence in left brought in Pico. Iadisernia followed with a base hit that scored Cranston and made it 3-2.
The Phoenix did more two-out damage in the fourth as Justin Cassell’s triple into the right-field corner plated Cole Reynolds and Pico and gave Elon its first lead, 4-3.
Elon tacked on solo runs in the next three innings. Nick Cicci smacked his seventh homer of the season with two outs in the fifth. Garrett Stonehouse singled to lead off the sixth and eventually crossed the plate on Cassella’s ground out. In the seventh, Iadisernia opened the frame with a single and scored on a Cole Reynolds ground out.
Trehub was the only W&M player with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with a RBI.