HARDEEVILLE, S.C. - The Embry-Riddle Eagles took both games of one of the most intense doubleheaders in recent history on Saturday afternoon, 2-0 and 10-7, the second game went into the 10th inning before the Eagles emerged with the come-from-behind victory. ERAU won the season series, two games to one, and improve their records to 22-3 overall and 14-1 in Sun Conference play. USCB falls to 16-8 and 6-6 in TSC.
Game One
Ryan Vigue took the mound for the Blue and Gold in Saturday's opener, throwing another complete game gem for the sixth-ranked Eagles. The senior from Merritt Island, Fla. pitched his second nine-inning shutout, tossing just 100 pitches in the contest.
ERAU scored a run in the top of the first inning, and that proved to be all Vigue needed the rest of the way. Greg Smith drew a one-out walk before stealing second base and scoring on a Steve Sabins' single to right field.
USCB got one of their four hits in their half of the first inning, but Vigue stranded the runner at first with a strikeout and two fly outs.
The Eagle left hander was in control the entire game, registering 11 strikeouts in nine innings. The hosts only managed to get more than the three-batter minimum to the plate in three frames.
Embry-Riddle scored their second run in the seventh, continuing their two-out run streak. J.T. Warmoth walked, advanced to second on a Jeff Lemon single then Adam Cellini brought in the run with a single up the middle to give Vigue a 2-0 cushion.
Vigue moved to 7-0 with the victory, outdueling Dexter Price in the game, sending him to just his second loss of the season.
Sabins was 2-for-4 with an RBI for ERAU.
Game Two
The final game of the day and series proved to be one of the most exciting contests of the year, going a full 10 innings before a winner was decided.
Kevin Maloney started for the visitors, looking solid through five complete innings.
Once again the Eagles plated the first run of the game, driving in a score in the second. Ben Kline doubled down the right field line then stole third to give Ian MacGeorge a great RBI opportunity. MacGeorge singled to center field to score Kline on the first pitch from USCB hurler Michael Heesch.
ERAU plated two additional runs in the third, one coming from a triple off the bat of Smith, scoring Cellini's courtesy runner, Jordan Romero, and another when Smith ran home on a passed ball.
Maloney gave up a run in the sixth to the Sand Sharks, but left two runners on the bases with a strikeout of Conald Mansfield.
Some debatable calls in the bottom of the seventh allowed USCB to take the lead, 4-3, scoring three runs, none of them earned, off of Maloney and reliever Robbie Ratliff.
The Eagles again found themselves on the short end of some umpire decisions in the eighth, falling behind 6-3 with just the top of the ninth left to make a comeback.
ERAU staged their second last at-bat, come-from-behind rally in the ninth of 2011, scoring three runs to force the Sand Sharks to bat in the bottom of the frame. Cellini led off the frame with an infield single, beating out a throw from the USCB third baseman. Aaron Glaum drew the first of two straight walks, as Smith did the same in the next at-bat, loading the bases for Sabins. Sabins hit a deep fly ball to center field as Romero tagged third and ran home on the throw, cutting the deficit to 6-4. Chris Page came through with the biggest hit of his season, driving a ball down the left field line to score both Eagle runners on the bases, tying the game at 6-6.
Brandon Creath entered the game to pitch for the Blue and Gold, and the junior did a great job in the ninth, stranding two USCB runners to move the game to extras.
Embry-Riddle continued their hot streak in the 10th, starting with Cellini's single back up the middle. Glaum moved the courtesy runner Romero over to second with a sacrifice bunt. Romero wisely moved to third on a pitch in the dirt before Smith walked to put runners on the corners with one out. Sabins hit another sacrifice fly to left field, bringing in the freshman Romero. Page singled through the right side and Kline was hit by a pitch to load the bags. Keaton Stroud hit an 0-2 pitch into left center field to clear the bases and give ERAU a huge 10-6 advantage.
Creath surrendered a single run in the home-half of the frame, but a 4-6-3 double play ended the game for the Eagles, and gave them the 10-7 victory.
Creath got the win (3-1), the final of four pitchers the Eagles used. Weldon Smith got the loss for USCB, as he was also the fourth hurler for the Sand Sharks.
Stroud was 1-for-4 with three RBIs, Sabins and Page both drove in two runs for the Eagles.
The Eagles return to Daytona Beach to play Indiana Tech on Monday, Mar. 14 at 6 p.m.