FT. MYERS, Fla. - The sixth-ranked Embry-Riddle Eagles were eliminated from the 2012 Sun Conference Baseball Tournament earlier than they would have hoped on Thursday night, falling victim to SCAD Savannah 4-3 via a game-ending single from Hector Acosta. Earlier in the day, ERAU ended Warner's season with an 11-1 victory. The Eagles' record is now 40-16 on the year, and they will wait and see what four other teams are to be sent to Daytona Beach for the NAIA National Championship Opening Round from May 11-14. The 45 qualifers and the seedings will be announced on Sunday, May 6.
ERAU 11, WU 1 - Boxscore
Kevin Maloney gave the Eagles a solid outing, and the Embry-Riddle bats came alive for the first time in the tournament as ERAU pounded Warner, 11-1 in an elimination game. The Blue and Gold collected 11 hits and nine RBIs off of four Royal pitchers, pushing their way to the loser's bracket final on Thursday night.
ERAU struck early and often, plating two runs in the first and one in the third to take a 3-0 lead. Maloney allowed one run in the bottom of the third inning, but that's all the Royals would get for the entire game.
The Eagles busted the game open in the fifth and sixth, pushing their lead to 7-1 with a pair of two-run frames, and the No. 1 seed put the game away in the eighth with three runs.
Chris Page led the way for ERAU, striking for two hits, three RBIs and a run scored.
Ian MacGeorge also recorded three RBIs for ERAU.
Maloney (8-0) got the win for ERAU, tossing six innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out three.
David Lidyard and Antwan Brown pitched the final three innings without allowing a run, and just one hit.
SCAD 4, ERAU 3 - Boxscore
Embry-Riddle was unable to keep their run going in the nightcap on Thursday, dropping a 4-3 decision to the sixth-seeded Bees. Embry-Riddle, playing in their third consecutive elimination game, collected just seven hits off of SCAD's pitching, and two costly errors in the final stages of the game allowed the Bees to advance to the title game against St. Thomas on Friday.
Chad Modomo took the hill for ERAU, his first start in over a month, and the junior from Winter Park, Fla. did an admirable job for the Eagles, scattering 10 hits over six frames, only allowing two runs (one earned).
SCAD scored a run in both the first and second innings, but the Eagles answered with two runs in the fourth to knot the game at 2-2. Modomo kept SCAD from pulling ahead until he was relieved by Lidyard in the seventh.
A throwing error in the bottom of the eighth allowed the go-ahead run to score for the Bees, however, a clutch, two-out double from
Mike Gragilla in the ninth tied the game at 3-3 as
Frankie Arias scored from second after he singled to begin the frame.
Jamison Sweat doubled off of
Eric Green to begin the ninth, and a misplay in the Eagle outfield pushed him to third with no outs. ERAU intentionally walked the next two batters to establish an out at any base, but Hector Acosta singled up the middle in the following at-bat to end the game and keep SCAD's season and program alive for another day.
