Eagles Sweep Fire, Move to 12-0 in Conference Play
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Head Coach Randy Stegall earned his 150th win at the helm of the Embry-Riddle baseball team in game one of Saturday's doubleheader, and the Eagles managed a come-from-behind victory in game two to sweep the conference series from Southeaster, three games to none. With the pair of victories, ERAU is now 16-2 overall and a perfect 12-0 in Sun Conference play, setting the program record for the best conference start in history; ERAU also remains unbeaten at Sliwa Stadium while running their winning streak to nine games. Southeastern falls to 8-10 overall and 3-6 in TSC. It was the Eagles' fourth conference sweep of 2011 and their fifth sweep overall.
Game One
Tucker Jensen pitched yet another gem for the Blue and Gold in Saturday's opener. Jensen threw his second complete game of the year to earn his fifth victory (5-0) tying teammate Ryan Vigue for the second-most in the nation.
Jensen held the Fire scoreless in the first two innings, but gave up his first and only run of the contest in the third when Brandon DeRepiris singled up the middle with two outs to score William Glessner from second base and give SEU the 1-0 lead.
The advantage was fairly short-lived for the visitors as the Eagles knotted the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth off Steve Sabins' double to right center that brought Aaron Glaum home from second base. Glaum led off the frame with a single to the gap in left center. The double ran Sabins' hitting streak to 15 games.
With the score tied at one apiece, Jensen worked quickly in the fifth, stranding a Fire base runner at bring the Eagles back to the plate in the bottom of the frame.
ERAU wasted no time blowing the game wide open, striking for six runs on six hits and an error to take a commanding 7-1 lead. Jeff Lemon and Frankie Arias kick started the offense with back-to-back singles to right field to begin the home half of the fifth, and with the two Eagles on first and second Greg Smith sacrificed the pair over to second and third with a nice bunt. Catcher Adam Cellini singled in the next at-bat, plating both Lemon and Arias and recording two RBIs. Glaum doubled to left field to put runners on the corners for J.T. Warmoth and the junior second baseman delivered with a two-run single to left field. After Sabins reached on a throwing error by a Southeastern infielder, SEU starter Justin Mauldin was relieved by Kyle Young. Ben Kline accounted for the final two runs of the inning with a hit to center field, scoring Sabins and Warmoth.
Jensen was nearly untouchable the rest of the way for ERAU, giving up just two hits the rest of the game. The senior from Ormond Beach, Fla. threw 122 pitches in his nine innings of work, surrendering one run on six hits while striking out four Fire batters.
Glaum finished 2-for-4 with a pair of runs, Cellini had a nice game for the Eagles, 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Warmoth and Kline added two RBIs each for the Blue and Gold.
Southeastern used four pitchers on the mound, but it was Mauldin who was tagged with the loss, moving his record to 2-3 on the year.
Game Two
In the get-away game the Fire looked to finally find an answer for ERAU's starting pitching, scoring three runs off of Embry-Riddle's Kevin Maloney. However, the sophomore buckled down and finished strong for the home team, eventually pitching his way to his third victory in 2011.
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the second the Eagles cut the deficit in half when Cellini collected his fourth RBI of the day on a double to left center that allowed Smith to score standing up after he singled up the middle with two outs.
The Fire answered with their third run in the top of the third when Shane Casey collected a hit off Maloney to bring in Tyler Ruehlman from third.
The hosts used another explosion of six runs, this time in the third inning to take the lead 7-3, before tacking on a run in both the fifth and seventh innings to account for their nine total runs.
In the third the Eagles got to reigning Sun Conference Pitcher of the Week Grant Porter early, recording five straight singles to begin the inning, plating two runs and loading the bases for Ian MacGeorge. MacGeorge saw four consecutive balls go by to earn an RBI walk, followed by a Smith single through the right side to score one more Eagle runner. Cellini capped off his career day with a single back up the middle to plate two runs and bring the score to 7-3 in favor of ERAU.
Maloney pitched into the seventh inning, getting stronger as the game wore on, before giving way to senior Steve Ortman with two outs recorded in the seventh. Ortman pitched the final out of the seventh and the entire eighth inning in, not allowing a base runner, throwing just 13 pitches.
Fire third baseman Hecor Echemendia homered in the top of the ninth inning with one out to score two runs and bring the Fire to within 9-5, but Barrett Bruce wrapped up the game with a ground out and fly out to give the Eagles the win.
Maloney (3-0) pitched 6.2 innings, giving up three runs on nine hits and two walks while fanning eight SEU hitters. Porter (2-2) earned the loss for Southeastern.
Every single Eagle starter recorded a hit in the contest as the Blue and Gold tied their season-high mark of 16 hits in the game. Sabins was a perfect 4-for-4 with a run scored, Cellini drove in three runs in game two on two hits, giving him six RBIs for the day.
Embry-Riddle will be back in action on Sunday evening, Mar. 6, when they host Bellevue (Neb.) at Sliwa Stadium. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. EST.