| 2 | 7 |
| Game 1 | Latham Park | Elon, N.C. | |
| 6 | 11 |
| Game 2 | Attn: 382 | |
| POST GAME LINKS |
Gm. 1 | Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) |
Gm. 2 | Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) |
| VIDEO: Postgame Comments |
| FINAL STATISTICS |
ELON, N.C. - Elon claimed both ends of a baseball doubleheader Saturday in Latham Park, winning 7-2 in the first game and 11-6 in the second.
Elon (3-0) pitchers Jake Stalzer (1-0) and Robbie Welhaf (1) combined for a two-hitter in the first game, holding all of the Penn State (3-0) batters in check with the exception of centerfielder Ryan Richter, who went 2-for-3 with his first career home run, a walk and both runs scored. Stalzer yielded the two runs (one earned) on two hits and four walks with seven strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings of work. Welhaf was perfect over the final 2 1/3 innings, striking out three.
Penn State's bats came to life in the second game, as the Lions pounded out 12 hits, led by Tyler Kendall who went 3-for-3 with two RBIs after entering the game in the sixth inning. Shortstop Jim Haley (2 RBIs) and designated hitter Nick Riotto (RBI) both had two-hit games.
Elon also had 12 hits though, and was led offensively by designated hitter Chris King, who went 3-for-5 with a home run and two doubles, driving in three runs. Preseason All-American Casey Jones also had a productive day, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a walk in the first game, and adding two more walks in the second game.
Elon built 3-0 leads in the first two innings of both games. In the first, Richter manufactured the first Penn State run in the fifth inning. The first Lion to reach base, he drew a walk, advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches and then scored on a double steal. Elon added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth though for a 5-1 lead. Richter then hit a solo home run in the seventh, but Elon iced the win with two more runs in the eighth.
A double from Haley drove in the first PSU run in the second game in the third inning, but a two-RBI double from right fielder Ryan Cooper keyed a three-run fourth inning for Elon and a 6-1 lead. The Phoenix added another run in the fifth. Alex Malinsky drove in a run in the top of the sixth for the Blue and White, but King's two-run shot to right field in the sixth gave the Phoenix a 9-2 advantage.
The Lions closed the gap to three runs with two runs each in the seventh and eighth innings, but the Phoenix added two more in the bottom of the eighth for the final margin. Kendall and Riotto drove in a run each in the seventh, while Haley and Kendall had the RBIs in the eighth.
Lucas Bakker (1-0) went 5 2/3 innings to earn the win, allowing two runs on seven hits and four walks with three strikeouts. Freshman pitchers Nick Distasio (0-1) and Taylor Lehman (0-1) took the losses in their first career starts.
Penn State returns to action Friday at No. 23 Texas A&M, beginning a three-game series.