Boxscore
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Embry-Riddle senior
Daniel Eaton was nearly perfect on Thursday night at Sliwa Stadium, pitching a four-hit shutout of the fifth-seeded Siena Heights Saints in the Eagles' 2-0 victory during the NAIA National Championship Opening Round - Daytona Beach bracket. The Eagles (41-16) advance to take on the second-seeded Warhawks of Auburn Montgomery in a 2 p.m., winner's bracket final on Friday afternoon. Siena Heights (32-24) will play tomorrow night at 6 p.m. against the winner of the 10 a.m. Southern Poly versus Biola contest.
Eaton took the mound for the Eagles in search of his seventh win of the season, he was matched up against Siena Heights' Brett Kuebler, and both looked to be in dominant form early.
After an unsteady first inning in which the Eagled put runners on first and second with just one out (they failed to plate either runner), Kuebler settled down and retired the next seven batters, albeit unconventionally. Eaton faced the minimum through the first five frames, and in the fourth, ERAU gave their hurler a lead.
Ben Kline began the inning with a double to deep left field and was bought home by
Ian MacGeorge two batters later. MacGeorge's single to shallow center allowed Kline to race home from second, giving the Blue and Gold a 1-0 advantage.
Eaton did not allow a Saints' player to reach second base until the ninth, and Siena Heights was unable to mount any sort of offense.
Jeff Lemon collected the second RBI for ERAU in the eighth when he singled in
Tyler Robbins from second. Robbins was hit by a Kuebler pitch in a pinch hit at-bat to start the eighth, then moved to second when
Adam Cellini sacrificed himself on a bunt.
SHU got one runner on in the ninth with one out before he moved to second on a wild pitch by Eaton. A walk put a pair of Saints on the bases, but Eaton ended the game with a fly out and a strikeout to secure the 2-0 victory.
Eaton (7-5) threw all nine innings, allowing just four hits and two walks while striking out seven SHU batters. Kuebler was equally as impressive, scattering six hits, but allowing two runs while fanning four.
