Box Score ELON, N.C.— The Samford baseball team dropped the first game of its three-game Southern Conference series at Elon, falling by a score of 10-8 to the Phoenix Friday evening at Latham Park.
 
Elon plated six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to break open a close game and take a 9-2 lead. The Bulldogs, however, came back to cut the lead to two at 10-8, but the Bulldogs were unable to get over the hump, eventually falling by two runs.
 
With the loss, Samford falls to 25-25 overall and 10-14 in the SoCon. Elon improves to 26-26 overall and 17-10 in league play.
 
Samford was led at the plate by Phillip Ervin, going 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI. Zeth Stone, C.K. Irby, Christiaan Durdaller, Patrick McGavin and Brandon Haarer drove in a run each for the Bulldogs. Irby (7-5) also started the game on the mound for Samford, tossing 3.0 innings, giving up eight runs on nine hits and striking out seven batters to take the loss on the mound for the Bulldogs.
 
For Elon at the plate, Joey Tomko went 3-for-4. Quinn Bower and Alex Swim had two hits each. Ryan Kinsella hit his SoCon-leading 19^th home run of the season, going 1-for-3 with four RBI. Nate Young (2-1) pitched 5.0 innings, giving up five runs on four hits to earn the win on the mound for Elon. Andrew MacDonald pitched the final 4.0 innings to pick up his fourth save of the season.
 
Samford jumped on top early with two runs in the top of the first inning. With one out in the inning, Ervin walked and then stole second base. Irby then walked, and Durdaller doubled down the right-field line to drive in Ervin for the game's first run. Irby then scored on a ground out by McGavin for a 2-0 Samford lead.
 
Elon came back with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Bower singled, and Swim and Kinsella walked to load the bases with no outs. With one out in the inning Bower scored on a passed ball to make the score 2-1. With two outs, Casey Jones singled up the middle, driving in Swim and Kinsella for a 3-2 Elon lead.
 
The Phoenix took control of the game with six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Kinsella hit a three-run home run to right field for the first three runs in the inning. Chris King scored from third base when Jones reached base on a fielder's choice to make the score 7-2. Antonio Alvarez later scored from third base on a balk to make it 8-2, and Jones scored the inning's final run on a wild pitch for a 9-2 Elon lead.
 
The Bulldogs plated three runs in the top of the fifth inning to cut the Elon lead to 9-5. Stone tripled to drive in Austin Allison for the first run in the inning. Ervin singled to drive in Stone, and Irby singled to drive in Ervin to bring Samford to within four runs.
 
Samford added another run in the top of the seventh inning to close to within three runs at 9-6. Tommy Corbin reached base on an error and later scored on a ground out by Ervin for Samford's sixth run of the contest.
 
Elon plated another run in the bottom of the seventh inning to push its lead to 10-6. Swim doubled with one out and later scored on a Samford error for a four-run Phoenix lead.
 
Samford came back with a run in the top of the eighth inning to make the score 10-7. Haarer hit a pinch-hit double to drive in McGavin to bring Samford to within three runs.
 
In the top of the ninth inning, Samford plated one final run to cut the lead to 10-8, but the Bulldogs could not manage to get any closer. With one out in the inning, Stone was hit by a pitch and then scored when Ervin doubled down the left-field line. Irby then walked, but MacDonald was able to retire Durdaller and McGavin to end the threat and secure the win for Elon.
 
Samford and Elon will continue their series with a game Saturday at 3 p.m. (CT). The game can be heard locally on WVSU-FM 91.1, or worldwide on the internet at www.samford.edu/wvsu. Live stats will also be available through links on the baseball schedule page at www.samfordsports.com.