NORMAN POWERS FURMAN PAST ELON, 7-6
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Derek Norman drove in three runs with a two-run double and a sacrifice fly to lead Furman to a 7-6 win over Elon in Southern Conference baseball action Friday evening at Furman Stadium.
Norman, a senior catcher from Knoxville, Tenn., delivered his two-run double in the third inning and later scored from second base on an error to tie Furman’s career runs scored standard of 159 currently shared by Jim Morrill (1995-98) and Jody Wade (1996-99).
Nick Mershon added a pair of RBI for Furman (9-15, 3-4 SoCon) and cracked his third home run of the season.
Elon (14-16, 8-5 SoCon) collected 10 hits off Paladin pitching, including home runs by Gary Morris, Tyler Stevens, and Paul Bennett, but the Phoenix stranded nine base runners in the contest.
Furman grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Andrew Greene led off with a bunt single, advanced to second on Craig Caudill’s sacrifice, stole third, and came home on Norman’s sacrifice fly.
The Paladins made it 2-0 in the second on a Mershon sacrifice fly that plated Matthew Betsill.
Elon sliced Furman’s lead in half in the third inning when Morris belted a two-out solo home to right field off Furman starter Kyle Funk.
Furman increased its advantage to 5-1 with three runs in the bottom of the frame, highlighted by Norman’s two-run double to right center off Elon starter Matt Garner (3-3) that scored Greene and Caudill. Norman came home for the third run, scoring from second base when Elon shortstop Paul Bennett misplayed a two-out pop on the infield.
Back-to-back singles by Chris Price and Grant Rembert to start the Elon fourth set the table for Tyler Stevens, who delivered a three-run home run to left center field to make it 5-4.
Nick Mershon belted Elon reliever George Blystone’s first pitch of the fourth inning over the left field fence for a 6-4 lead, and the Paladins added another run in the fifth on Nick Wajda’s two-out, RBI single to center.
The Phoenix rallied for a pair of runs in the seventh off Paladin reliever and winner Ryan Hudson (1-1). After Bennett’s lead off home run to right field cut it to 7-5, Morris singled and advanced to second on a groundout. He then moved to third on a wild pitch and came home when Norman’s throw bounced into left field.
Elon threatened in the eighth after loading the bases with two outs, but Paladin reliever Calvin Hurst, who came on with one out in relief of Ryan Hodinka, got Drew Davis on a ground out to end the inning.
Hurst retired the Phoenix in order in the ninth to earn the save, his sixth of the season.
Furman and Elon play the second game of the three-game conference series Saturday evening beginning at 6:00 p.m.