UNC baseball uses early lead to soar past Elon Phoenix in 12-6 victory

ELON — According to Greek mythology, the phoenix dies by fire and is reborn from the ashes of its ancestors.

So after using a ninth-inning comeback to defeat the Elon Phoenix on April 16, the North Carolina baseball team traveled to Elon Wednesday with hopes of preventing the Phoenix from rising again.

And despite Michael Russell, Skye Bolt and Landon Lassiter all removed from the starting lineup, the Tar Heels (29-19) used an early offensive explosion to extinguish the Phoenix (26-22) in a 12-6 victory at Latham Park.

Freshman first baseman Joe Dudek said attaining an early lead was a goal the team had entering the road contest.

“We played these guys close last time at our place,” Dudek said. “We knew this kind of environment, so we definitely wanted to try to come out firing as best we could.”

Russell, the team’s leading hitter, was suspended for violating team rules and sophomores Bolt and Lassiter were held out of the starting lineup due to a separate team rule violation — forcing coach Mike Fox to juggle his lineup.

And in the first inning, the patchwork lineup appeared anything but. Tyler Ramirez was anointed the leadoff hitter, and he opened the game by slapping a single into right field and advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Adam Pate — bringing senior Parks Jordan to the plate.

Jordan dug into the box as the No. 3 hitter in the lineup, a position typically occupied by one of the three suspended players. Facing a 2-2 count, the left-handed Jordan sent the next pitch flying to the opposite field for an RBI-double.

The run was the first of five scored in the first inning by the Tar Heels, and three of the ensuing runs resulted from a three-run dinger by Dudek over the fence in right center. Jordan said the lineup changes forced he and his teammates to bear down.

“We knew we had to come out, everybody take advantage and do their role in what spot they were put in,” Jordan said. “Normally under those type of circumstances, you see guys step up.”

With Taylore Cherry throwing a quick 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the first, the Tar Heels headed back into the dugout and picked up right where they left off.

After the Phoenix recorded their second out on a fielder’s choice at second base, Jordan stepped into the batter’s box for the second time in as many innings.

And just like before, the senior came through — this time by hitting a laser to right center. The ball rolled to the fence, and Jordan slid headfirst into third with an RBI-triple. Jordan said he wanted to set an example for his team as it dealt with the lineup changes.

“With experience and everything, I feel like I need to show the team how to do it and how to step up and get it done,” said Jordan, who finished three for four with three RBIs.

The early six-run lead gave Cherry and the rest of the UNC pitching staff all of the support it needed, as Elon was only capable of trimming the lead to four runs the rest of the way.

Fox said he was impressed with how Jordan and the rest of the team came out and jumped on the Phoenix early while dealing with the adversity of being without some of its top hitters.

“Just really proud of our guys,” Fox said. “Because of the circumstances, we’ve got different guys out there, and they responded. It was awesome. This is a great win for us.”

Contact the desk editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.