The Elon University baseball team opened its 2013 campaign with a resounding victory over the visiting Marist College Red Foxes on a glorious Friday afternoon at Latham Park.

Elon senior southpaw Dylan Clark got the ball to start for Elon and immediately ran into trouble. Marist junior right fielder Pat Welsh singled with one out in the first inning and advanced to third on a double from senior shortstop Zach Shank. Both runners came into score off of an error and an RBI groundout by junior second baseman Nick McQuail.

Clark’s early struggles were noted by his head coach. “I didn’t think he had his great stuff,” Elon head coach Mike Kennedy said. “He competes, he makes pitches when he has to. I didn’t think he had a lot of life in his arm.”

Luckily for Kennedy, his offense was quick to respond to the deficit. Elon scored a whopping eight runs in the first inning by sending twelve hitters to the plate and knocking seven base hits.

“We’re a better team [than last season] offensively,” the coach remarked after the game.

Senior outfielder Niko Fraser led off with a four-pitch walk against Marist’s senior pitcher Brett Houseal. Sebastian Gomez, a senior third baseman, followed with the first of his two base hits in the inning.

“It was a bounce-back inning,” Gomez said. “Everyone stayed relaxed.”

Alex Swim followed with an RBI single to plate Fraser. Junior first baseman Ryan Kinsella and sophomore right fielder Casey Jones walked, the latter for an RBI due to a bases-loaded situation.

From there, the floodgates opened, with five consecutive base hits, including the first collegiate hit for freshman designated hitter Danny Lynch - on the first pitch he ever saw.

“It was definitely good to get that one out of the way,” Lynch commented on his personal achievement. “I just saw the pitch and hit it.”

Kennedy is pleased to have Lynch on board: “He had a good day. He’s a good player, no doubt.”

The monster inning concluded when Alex Swim finally grounded out as the 12th hitter at the plate with Elon leading 8-2.

What ensued for the next several innings was a pitcher’s duel between Clark and Houseal marked by strong defense and rushed hitting.

“It was a double-edged sword.” Kennedy said. “After the [first inning], we got excited and started rushing up there and swinging. That’s the tough part about working with young kids…they can’t slow back down.”

Wil Leathers, a sophomore second baseman who transferred to Elon this year, made several strong plays in the field, drawing praise from his head coach. “He’s a good player. He solidified some things there and allowed us to do some things defensively that we thought would make us better.”

The get-up-sit-down cycle ended in the eighth inning, when Marist plated a run against Elon freshman Brandon Kacer. The Maroon and Gold responded quickly, however, and scored three of their own in the bottom of the frame off of an RBI double by junior shortstop Antonio Alvarez, a sacrifice fly by Gomez, and an RBI double by Kinsella.

Junior relief pitcher Ryan Pennell sat down the Red Foxes in the ninth, and Elon earned the 11-3 win.

Elon, at 1-0 on the season, earned the win for Dylan Clark. Houseal’s record dropped to 0-1 along with his team’s.

Elon will host Boston College on Saturday at noon, weather permitting.