ELON, N.C. (Interstat) — Trey Williford tossed six innings of no-hit ball and UNC Wilmington took advantage of three Elon errors to score five unearned runs Saturday afternoon, defeating the Phoenix 5-1 at Walter C. Latham Park.

The Seahawks improved to 23-17 overall and 10-3 in the Colonial Athletic Association after winning the first two games of the three-game series. Elon fell to 17-25 and 3-10. The victory came one afternoon after UNC Wilmington rallied for a 9-8 win.

UNC Wilmington jumped ahead in the first inning with five runs, all unearned. JP Pennella led off with an infield single, but Trevor Lucas grounded into a double play. Mason Hughes then reached on a throwing error by third baseman Brent Smith. Howie Rickett followed with an infield single, and a second throwing error by Smith allowed Hughes to score and Rickett to advance to second. Kevin Jones singled to center, driving in both Hughes and Rickett. Jones stole second and later scored on a wild pitch? Actually the play-by-play shows no further scoring in that inning, but the score after the first was 5-0. The runs were unearned because of the errors.

Williford, who entered with a 4.71 ERA and had allowed three earned runs in 3.2 innings against Hofstra a week earlier, was dominant. He struck out eight, walked three and held Elon hitless through the first four innings. The only blemish on his line came in the fifth. Jake Hajdu singled with one out, stole second, then stole third and came home on a straight steal of home to cut Elon’s deficit to 5-1. Jackson Alford, who finished 4-for-5, then reached on an error on a pickoff attempt, but Williford retired the next two batters.

Mitchell, Tommy Mitchell started for Elon and was effective despite the loss. He pitched seven innings, allowing five hits and one earned run while striking out one. But the three errors behind him—two by Smith and one by Mitchell himself—proved costly.

The Seahawks added two more runs in the eighth inning, again aided by an error. John Newton doubled and Jake Bechtel singled. Mitchell then threw the ball away on a bunt by Aiden Evans, allowing Newton and Bechtel to score. Evans advanced to third on the play. After Sam Nomura relieved Mitchell, Lucas singled to drive in Evans, making it 5-0 before the Phoenix scored their lone run.

T.J. Ziermann relieved Williford in the seventh and struck out five over two hitless innings, walking two. Brady Thompson closed the ninth, allowing one hit but escaping a bases-loaded jam by inducing a flyout to right field.

Elon’s Alford was the lone bright spot offensively, finishing with two doubles and two singles. Hajdu had one hit and scored the Phoenix’s only run. For UNC Wilmington, Jones went 1-for-4 with two RBIs, and Lucas drove in a run.

The game featured three double plays turned by Elon, but the Phoenix could not overcome the early deficit. The Seahawks managed only six hits, grounding into three double plays themselves.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of UNC Wilmington 4, Elon 3, and the Interstat ELO system gave the Seahawks a 68.80 percent probability of winning. The teams close the series Sunday afternoon.