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Echo Fox pulled out a much needed 2-1 series victory Saturday against Team EnVyUs to close out Week 9, Day 2 of the North American League of Legends Championship Series Spring Split in Los Angeles.
Early in Game 1, Echo Fox jungler Matthew "Akaadian" Higginbotham got his Kha'Zix first blood in top lane. Akaadian then focused his attention early on the top half of the map as he also gave gank help to Echo Fox mid laner Henrik "Froggen" Hansen's Karthus. Echo Fox (6-12, 15-28 match record) went on to maintain a small advantage in kills but made poor turret trades, including giving up an inhibitor at the 16 minute mark for a tier two turret. Team EnVyUs (3-14, 13-29 match record) didn't kept up its fast mid game tempo, allowing Echo Fox time to make up most of its gold deficit.
EnVy lost vision control over Baron, and Echo Fox capitalized by quickly killing Baron 30 minutes in. Echo Fox's Baron power play was enough to knock down two inhibitors and wore off as it began to siege and knock down the Nexus turrets. Echo Fox overstayed, allowing EnVyUs time to regroup and pick up a few kills. Once Echo Fox respawned, it put together a rather clean final push to win Game 1.
Game 2 saw Team EnVyUs struggle in teamfights early as Echo Fox ran out to an early lead in kills. Its teamfight woes started to turn around, however, after turning an Echo Fox engage into a 3-0 teamfight win of its own near the 23-minute mark. That allowed EnVy to quickly rush neutral objectives, securing a Mountain Drake and then a Baron buff that was parlayed into near destruction of Echo Fox's base. Continuing to keep pressure on every lane, EnVy finally put Echo Fox away after a second Baron play, pushing the series into a deciding third contest.
Game 3 featured more of Akaadian's early ganks on Lee Sin, but the strategy backfired as EnVy jungler Nam "LirA" Tae-yoo killed him for first blood and then ran away with a CS lead. Echo Fox rallied back in the mid-game as it evened out gold and objectives. EnVy tried to sneak a Baron kill 23 minutes in, but Echo Fox's jungler Akaadian stole the buff. Echo Fox's stolen Baron power play exposed mid lane's inhibitor but didn't yield much of a gold lead. EnVy tried to maintain map control after the buff wore off, but AD carry Apollo "Apollo" Price's Varus got caught out by a flank. Jumping on Apollo, Akaadian jumpstarted a teamfight that eventually led to Echo Fox securing a 3-for-0 trade and a second Baron. Echo Fox forced a final fight over EnVy's final inhibitor and won 4-for-0 before pushing to win the series.
Team EnVyUs has its final series of Week 9 against Counter Logic Gaming on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET. With its Spring Split now done, Echo Fox will have to hope to avoid relegation depending on the outcome of Sunday's Team Liquid vs. FlyQuest series.