SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Down by five runs early, the Wofford baseball team remained resilient and fought back, chipping away until eventually James Layman played hero with a walk-off two-run double for a 7-6 victory Sunday afternoon at Russell C. King Field. With the win over Elon, the Terriers improve to 14-6 as the Phoenix drop to 8-11.
 
"I think it's just a sign of this group," said head coach J.J. Edwards of the comeback win. "We are young and inexperienced, but we play hard. The miles we've put on the last 10 days, I've feel like we've been everywhere – Lexington, Kentucky, Charleston, up at Elon the last two days. It shows how tough we are. We're tired, but that doesn't mean we're not going to show up and play hard, so I was really proud of the guys for that."
 
Wofford used three arms in the contest with Dylan Rhadans getting the starting nod. Carter Rasmussen was first out of the bullpen, delivering 4.1 innings of one-run ball. He allowed just four hits and a walk, and he matched his career high with seven strikeouts. Kenny Michaels (3-0) secured the win after tossing the final 4.0 innings with no runs allowed. He surrendered just one hit and two walks with four punchouts.
 
"Just following [Carter Rasmussen] out there, just going out there and throwing strikes and getting three pitches on the plate and limiting my misses," said Michaels of his mindset coming out of the bullpen.
 
Elon used just two pitchers with Hudson Narke (0-3) suffering the loss out of the bullpen. He pitched the final 3.0 innings with three runs allowed on six hits and a walk.
 
Despite Elon's early success, the Terriers outhit the Phoenix 12-10 over the course of the full nine innings. A trio of Wofford batters tallied two hits in Ryan Wynn, Adam Haber, and Tyler Hare. Haber and Hare each added an RBI, as did Andrew Mannelly and Tanner Hardin. James Layman picked up three RBI in the game to pace the squad, two of which came on one swing. It was the biggest of the game as it was his walk-off two-run double. Hare, Mannelly, and Wynn each added doubles alongside Layman.
 
The Phoenix were in a rhythm early, plating five runs in the top of the first for a quick 5-0 advantage.
 
Wofford got on the board in the bottom of the frame with a run. David Wiley's single was followed by a Tyler Hare double that brought Wiley in for a 5-1 score.
 
A solo homer to lead off the top of the second got that run back for Elon, stretching the margin to 6-1.
 
The Terrier bullpen settled in from there, as the remainder of the game went by scoreless for the Phoenix. Wofford remained in the deficit until beginning to crack back through in the bottom of the sixth. A walk and a single put runners on the corners for Tanner Hardin, who laid down a sacrifice bunt to bring home a run. Later in the frame, James Layman brought in a run when he lifted a sacrifice fly to left that was dropped. A batter later, Andrew Mannelly doubled to plate Layman and pull Wofford within 6-4.
 
With an Adam Haber RBI single in the bottom of the seventh, the Terriers pulled within a run at 6-5.
 
The eighth went by quietly, and Elon searched for an insurance run in the top of the ninth. A one-out single aided the case, but Kenny Michaels clutched up to get a fielder's choice before catching the following batter looking on strike three to turn the baton to his offense.
 
Haber led the final frame off with a single, and Ethan Belk came on to pinch run. After a flyout, an errant throw on a pick-off attempt moved Belk to scoring position. Hare walked and was lifted for Ben Timblin to pinch run. Another flyout allowed Belk to get to third, bringing the potential tying run 90 feet away, albeit with Wofford down to its last out. Layman came through, however, ripping a double into the left center gap, burning the outfielder to clear the basepaths and plate both the tying and winning runs.
 
"The guys in front of me got on base, which we preach a lot here. I was trying to slow myself down, just stay within myself and hunt a good pitch in my spot. I guess it worked out," said Layman of his walk-off gapper.
 
After the thrilling 7-6 win to claim the series over Elon, the Terriers will play a pair of midweeks away from home. Wofford first visits UNC Asheville on Tuesday, March 18. First pitch is set for 5:00 p.m. The following day, Wofford battles USC Upstate at 6:00 p.m. in neutral site action at Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina.