ELON, N.C. – A three-run sixth inning and a Cole Singsank home run in the seventh provided the difference in College of Charleston's 14-10 victory over Elon that kept the Cougars in the hunt for the CAA regular season championship.

Charleston (37-12, 19-5 CAA) won for the 18th time in its past 21 conference games and moved into a tie for first place with UNCW pending the Seahawks' game at Delaware Thursday night. The loss eliminated the Phoenix (21-30, 10-15) from postseason contention.

The teams will play the middle game of the series Friday at 6 p.m. with Charleston seeking its eighth straight CAA series victory.

The game was knotted at 8-8 in the sixth when Kevin Madden chopped a ground ball into left field to bring home Cole Mathis with what proved to be the game-winning run. Dylan Johnson drove in his third run of the day with a sacrifice fly, and an RBI single by Tyler Sorrentino capped the decisive frame.

An inning later, Singsank continued his home run streak with a two-run shot, giving him a team-leading 17 on the year and seven in his last five games. Johnson also homered, and Trotter Harlan had a double among his three hits but it was a barrage of 15 singles that powered the Cougar attack.

Mathis and Sorrentino joined Harlan with three hits with Mathis scoring four times. Charleston reached double figures in runs for the 14th time and hits for the 19th time during a 26-game stretch which has seen the Cougars win 23 of them.

The Cougars bunched together six singles to score five times in the top of the first, but four Elon home runs including two in the fifth brought the Phoenix into the 8-8 deadlock. It was a four-run game in the bottom of the eighth when Emmett Bice thwarted Elon's last chance by getting the first batter he faced to roll into an inning-ending double play.

The Charleston defense, which entered the day ranked third in the nation in double plays turned, produced four on Thursday to help keep the Phoenix at bay and increase its total to 56.

Closer Davis Aiken finished it off with a 1-2-3 ninth in a non-save situation. Hayden Thomas picked up his third win of the season in relief of starter Aidan Hunter.