Elon, N.C. – Elon scored a pair of unearned runs with two out in the bottom of the eighth inning to rally past Western Carolina 4-3 on Wednesday evening in nonconference action at Latham Park. The Phoenix used a pair of two-run innings to upend the Catamounts for a third-straight game dating back to 2019.
 
WCU suffered the loss despite out hitting the Phoenix 11-to-5 with three going for extra bases. All but two of WCU's 11 hits came from the bottom half of the Catamount lineup as WCU stranded 11 runners on base. The Catamounts finished 1-for-14 (.071) at the plate with runners in scoring position.
 
Junior Will Prater reached base four times in a 3-for-3 performance with a trio of singles and a walk, while freshman Zach Ketterman matched his career-high with three hits, including a double and a run scored. Junior Seth Graves (2-for-4) and freshman Pascanel Ferreras (2-for-5) also tallied multi-hit games, with Ferreras doubling.
 
Junior Daylan Nanny drew a walk in his final trip to the plate to extend his reached-base safely streak to 33-consecutive games – every game played this season.
 
Trailing by a run, WCU freshman Drew Needham belted a two-run pinch-hit home run to centerfield in the top of the sixth inning to push the Catamounts in front, 3-2. It was Needham's second career homer.
 
In the bottom of the eighth inning, WCU reliever Davis Tyndall recorded the first two outs of his second inning of work before Parker Haskin doubled to left field. A wild pitch and a subsequent throwing error allowed Haskin to score the tying run. Willie Havens then drew a two-out walk before pinch-runner Griffin Arnone moved into scoring position by stealing second base. A second WCU error on an infield ground ball allowed the go-ahead run to score.
 
WCU managed to put two runners aboard in the top of the ninth as Ferreras led off with a single and Nanny walks, but both were stranded as the game ended on a ground out to third base.
 
Tyndall (1-1), the seventh of eight Catamount pitchers used on the night, was the tough-luck loser on Wednesday after surrendering two unearned runs in 1.2 innings of work. Tyndall joined starter Tristen Campbell and Eric Wallington with two strikeouts apiece.
 
WCU's defense turned a pair of double plays in Wednesday night's loss.
 
Elon reliever Will Gambino (1-0) picked up the victory after tossing 2.1 scoreless innings, limiting the Catamounts to two hits, and worked around a walk with four strikeouts. The five hits by the Phoenix were spread between four hitters, with Alex Iadisernia finishing 2-for-4 while Adam Spurlin drove in two runs on a fourth-inning triple in a 1-for-4 effort.
 
Western Carolina (21-12) travels to UNCG on Friday and Saturday in Southern Conference play.