The annual trip to Clemson is always an exciting one. The opportunity to play a great team in front of a great crowd is what it is all about.

Typically over the years, we have played Clemson tough, and this year was no different. After going back and forth early on, we were able to hold on for a 13-12 victory, marking my third victory over the Tigers.

The trip to Clemson typically takes four hours, so after long game with a 7:15 start time, we knew we were going to be getting back late; or early, depending on how you look at it.

Unfortunately for me I’m not a bus sleeper, so I couldn’t just close my eyes and find myself back at Elon. After two movies, “Saving Silverman” and “Zoolander,” we should have been close to home, but I guess the bus driver preferred safety over a good night sleep. I swear at one point we going up a hill and we came to a complete stop in the middle of the interstate.

We finally pulled into Elon a little after 4 in the morning, and as I was getting ready for bed an hour later, I could hear the birds chirping in anticipation for sunrise.

Even though the trip was long, beating a ranked team made it worthwhile. But we couldn’t savior the victory for long as UNC Asheville was coming to town in a few hours.

The thought of having to turn around and play so quick after a big victory was a scary one, especially given this team’s history. Depending on what Phoenix team you get, we can beat or get beat by anybody, a characteristic that is especially difficult to deal with over the course of a season.

I knew we were going to be in for a close game as guys started showing up for BP with the glazed look you can only get from having four hours of sleep. Fortunately, we were able to get good starting pitching out of freshman Daniel Britt as we sleep-walked our way to a 7-4 win.

The weekend brought in nearby rival UNC Greensboro. The series was much more than just bragging rights as the Spartans were one spot behind us in the conference standings.

In a season that has been characterized by its ups and downs, you could argue that the lone constant has been our ace Stephen Hensley.

As we headed into the first game of the series, everyone was expecting a pitching duel. Greensboro was throwing a guy who beat us last year, and we were throwing Hensley. But, with the Phoenix you learn to expect the unexpected. Greensboro knocked Hensley out after only five innings and went on to win 12-3.

Like many times this season, just when we feel as though we are starting to play better or we are starting to get on a roll, we drop a game we shouldn’t. What made this one so tough is that they punched us in the mouth with our ace on the mound, and that had not happened all season.

The loss Friday night I felt stung more than any this season, and after seven and half innings on Saturday, we were in danger of dropping the first two games. To our credit, we have been able to turn things around this season just as quickly as the have fallen apart.

Finally, the bats came alive for the first time since Clemson and Ryan “Chili” Adams’ pinch-hit homer capped off a five-run eighth. We able to close out the 7-5 win to even the series at one apiece.

Sunday’s victory marked our first Sunday win in nearly a month. Typically Sunday games this year have shown our inability to complete a sweep, or in last weekend’s series, our inability to avoid a sweep.

The thing that I love, and hate, about this team is that you never know what you are going to get. A couple days after being swept by Western Carolina, we go down to Clemson and beat a ranked team. A few days later we lose a game we feel like we should win.

Given our current position in the season, we realize that our goal of winning the regular season is all but out the window; at the same time, we have a great opportunity to get hot going into the conference tournament.

The conference leader comes to town this weekend in College of Charleston. A model of consistency, they have been the opposite of the “Jekyll & Hyde” Phoenix. But if this season has showed us anything, there is no telling what will happen.

Drew Davis

(photo courtesy of Elon Media Relations Office)