TAMPA, Fla. - Just hours after the Embry-Riddle Eagles moved to No. 2 in the latest NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll, they out-scored NCAA II No. 8 Tampa, 7-6 at University of Tampa Baseball Field. It markes the second time in two seasons the Eagles downed a NCAA II top 10 program after last season's 4-3 win over then No. 4 Florida Southern. The Eagles move to 36-8 overall while the Spartans fall to 27-10. ERAU senior Phillip Reamy broke the Embry-Riddle career saves mark by closing out the game for ERAU, he stands at 24 career saves, good for fourth all-time in NAIA history.
The Eagles got on the board early with a two-run first inning off of UT starter Ryan Kennedy. Aaron Glaum singled through the right side to begin the frame before Greg Smith drew a four-pitch walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. After a ground ball that resulted in a double play, junior Chris Page came to the dish with Glaum at third and two outs. Page waited until the third pitch he saw from Kennedy before smashing it over the right field fence to give ERAU the 2-0 lead.
Embry-Riddle starter Daniel Eaton went an unconvetional 1-2-3 after hitting the first Tampa batter. Eaton got Raiko Alfonso to ground into a double play to erase the baserunner and record the first two outs of the inning. A line out by Eric Grabe to J.T. Warmoth at second base ended the frame, and brought the Eagles back into the dugout.
ERAU struck for their third run of the contest in the second, moving sophomore Keaton Stroud around the bases before he scored on a two-out RBI single from catcher Adam Cellin to make the score 3-0.
Eaton surrendered a bases-clearing double to Adam Pendleton that brought in three runs for the Spartans, tying the game at 3-3. Eaton was able to strand Pendleton at second by getting the final two batters of the inning to fly out.
Neither team could break the tie in the third or fourth innings, but the Eagles busted the game open in the fifth when Max Krueter came in to pitch for UT. Glaum doubled with one out to start the ERAU rally, and after a line out from Smith, Steve Sabins drew a two-out walk. Page walked to the dish with runners on first and second and crushed a Krueter pitch to center field that found its way over the fence to plate three Embry-Riddle runs. Ben Kline went back-to-back with Page in the following at-bat, giving a Krueter pitch a ride over the left field fence for his fifth round tripper of the season, bringing the score to 7-3 in favor of the visitors.
Tampa scored a single run in the fifth and sixth off of Eaton, and when Heath Pritchard took Eaton deep in the eighth to cut the ERAU lead to one run at 7-6, Coach Randy Stegall brought in Reamy to close the game.
Reamy worked ahead of pinch hitter Shawn Pleffner 1-2 before getting him to ground a ball to Warmoth at second base to end the inning.
The Eagles were unable to score an insurance run in the ninth, and the Centreville, Va. native came out for the ninth needing three outs to earn his 14th save of the season and 24th of his career. Both Pendleton and Cody Davis put good swings on a pair of Reamy pitches, but both balls were caught on the warning track to put Tampa down to their final out. Reamy got Connor Obrochta to ground out to first baseman Page to end the contest and give the Eagles the 7-6 victory.
Eaton (2-2) got the win, throwing 7.2 innings, allowing six runs on nine hits while fanning five Spartan hitters. Reamy pitched the final 1.1 innings, not giving up a hit while earning the save.
Page was 2-for-4 with five RBIs and two runs scored and Glaum finished 2-for-5 with two runs for ERAU.
The Eagles return home to Daytona Beach where they will host Edward Waters in a four-game non-conference series with the Tigers this Saturday and Sunday. First pitch for Saturday (Apr. 16) is set for 1 p.m. and it will be Senior Day for the 10 Embry-Riddle baseball seniors.
The Eagles jumped up one spot in the NAIA Coaches' Poll released on Tuesday by the national office. ERAU accumulated 625 total points and two first-place votes to place second, just 16 points behind new No. 1 Lee (Tenn.). Oklahoma City (31-6) dropped from first to third while California Baptist (33-10) moved to fourth LSU Shreveport (35-10) improved one spot to fifth.