LEBANON, Tenn. - For the second game in a row, the Embry-Riddle Eagles used offensive firepower and a Tucker Jensen strikeout to outlast the No. 1 Cumberland Bulldogs, 11-9 on Tuesday at Woody Hunt Stadium. The Blue and Gold jump to 26-7 and CU slips to 19-11 overall.
Thanks to 14 hits and a pair of CU errors, the Eagles plated double-digit runs again against the Bulldogs for the second straight contest.
Ryan Vigue took to the hill for ERAU, looking for his nation-leading eighth win of the 2011 season. Vigue looked great through the first four innings, as the Bulldogs managed just two hits off the senior from Merritt Island, Fla. He twice stranded runners on third base during the first four frames, keeping zeroes on the bottom half of the scoreboard.
The Blue and Gold got a run in the top of the third off of CU starter Logan Neal when J.T. Warmoth hit a pitch to left field that brought Aaron Glaum in from third after he tagged up.
Embry-Riddle went up 4-0 in the fourth off an Ian MacGeorge three-run home run to left field, plating Keaton Stroud, Ben Kline and himself. Kline started the inning with a single to left field, followed by a Stroud single to left center. Stroud's single extended his hitting streak to 16 games, dating back to Feb. 26 against Ave Maria. The homer from MacGeorge marked the second of his season.
The Eagles put up three more runs in the fifth frame, including two on a Chris Page round-tripper, his third of the year, and third in two days. Steve Sabins reached first on a fielding error by the third baseman before Page smacked a 1-1 pitch over the right field wall for a 6-0 Eagle lead. Kline was hit by a pitch in the next at-bat, followed by a Stroud double to right center. MacGeorge picked up his fourth RBI of the afternoon thanks to a sac fly to deep center field, scoring Kline from third.
After Cumberland got on the board with a run in the bottom of the fifth, ERAU answered with their third straight inning of three-run baseball. Sabins hit a one-out home run to the deepest part of the ballpark for a 8-1 Eagle lead. Page doubled to right center, then Kline singled to left center, putting Eagle runners on the corners with one out. Stroud continued his hot streak with a double down the right field line, plating Page and moving Kline to third. MacGeorge hit his second sacrifice fly to bring in Kline, stretching the Eagle lead to 10-1.
CU's Tommy Crews accounted for two CU runs in the sixth when he homered off of Vigue, cutting the deficit to 10-3.
The Eagles were kept scoreless in the seventh, and CU got back in the game with a three-run home-half of the frame to draw within 10-6. Jesse Bowman hit his first homer of the year with two Bulldogs on, scoring three runs for CU. Steve Ortman entered the game for Vigue with one out and succesfully minimized the damage by getting two outs with two runners on base.
Ortman kept the defending National Champions at bay in the eighth inning, again stranding two Bulldog runners on the base paths.
Embry-Riddle struck for an insurance run in the visitor-half of the ninth, thanks to a Sabins sac fly that scored Greg Smith.
Cumberland made it interesting in their last at-bat, striking for three runs on three hits and an Eagle error, causing Head Coach Randy Stegall to bring in Jensen for the final out of the game. Jensen threw four pitches, including the final one that Tommy Winegardner swung on and missed to seal the win for the Eagles.
Vigue moved to 8-1 on the year with the victory, and Jensen picked up his first save of the season and of his career.
MacGeorge collected two hits in three at-bats, plating five runs in the process. Page went 3-for-6 with two RBIs while Stroud finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
The Eagles will return to Daytona Beach, Fla. to host St. Thomas in a critical Sun Conference series this weekend. First pitch for Friday's single game is scheduled for 6 p.m., while the doubleheader on Saturday will begin at 1 p.m.