DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The eighth-ranked Embry-Riddle baseball team started their crucial Sun Conference series against the No. 19 St. Thomas Bobcats off on the right foot Saturday evening, downing St. Thomas 5-3 with an eighth inning rally. The Eagles (33-11, 16-3) also clinched a berth to the 2013 Sun Conference Tournament earlier in the day when USCB lost to Ave Maria, joining St. Thomas (30-14, 16-6), Ave Maria and Webber International as four of the six teams that will take part in the six-team event (Apr. 30 - May 4) in Ft. Myers, Fla.

The Eagles and Bobcats conclude their three-game set tomorrow, Sunday, Apr. 14, with a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m., an hour earlier than originally scheduled because of potential rain later in the afternoon.

A pair of lefties took the hill for their respective teams as Michael Arostegui battled Kevin Maloney in the early going. Arostegui got hit around by the Eagles in the first few frames, but was able to strand two runners in both the first and second by getting ground balls that resulted in force outs at second base.

The Bobcats struck first in the contest when Nicholas Perez singled through the right side of the infield in the top of the third, scoring Nico Hernandez from third and moving Adam Duarte just 90 feet away from home. Hernandez walked to begin the inning and Duarte reached on a fielder's choice bunt in the next at-bat in which Maloney elected to try to get the lead runner at second which Hernandez was able to beat out to put runners at first and second with no outs.

With runners on the corners Maloney minimized the damage by picking off Perez trying to take second and striking out Giovanni Zayas at the dish for the final out of the frame.

Arostegui breezed through the home-half of the third before Adam Cellini began the fourth with an infield single, and his courtesy runner, Connor Williams moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Jordan Johnson collected his second hit of the day with an infield hit to short and Liam Goodall tied the game with a sacrifice fly to center that scored Williams.

STU jumped back in front with a single run in the fifth, taking a 2-1 lead when Ozney Guillen doubled to left center to bring in Hernandez after he singled to left and moved to second on a groundout.

In the bottom of the fifth the Eagles drove Arostegui from the game, scoring twice on four hits and two errors to take a 3-2 lead. Kyle Chastain beat out an infield single and when the third baseman's throw to first was high, moved to second on the error. Colt Hankamer followed with a single to center, putting Eagles on first and third with no outs. A failed pickoff attempt by Arostegui allowed Chastain to touch home and moved Hankamer to second before he scored on Jeff Lemon's RBI single to right center.

Maloney stranded two Bobcats in the sixth before Jon Rapose relieved him to start the seventh, facing just four batters in a near-perfect inning of work.

Rene Lozano, who entered for Arostegui back in the fifth, kept the Eagles off-balance through the sixth and seventh, and his team was able to knot the score in the top of the eighth when Brandon Canizares singled down the left field line with two outs, scoring Edwin Rolon from second.

Mike Gragilla recorded a double to right center after Liam Goodall reached first on a fielder's choice in the last of the eighth, causing the Bobcats to play their infield in for Jordan Romero. The junior shortstop drilled a line drive through the left side of the infield, scoring Goodall from third and moving pinch runner David Belardes up from second. Chastain followed suit in the following at-bat, singling to third as Belardes scored, giving the Eagles a 5-3 cushion.

Eric Green earned his seventh save of 2013, but thanks to an Eagle error, had to work around a few base runners. Green hit Adam Duarte with a pitch with one out recorded before Guillen reached on an error, but again the Eagles were able to catch a break when STU elected to try a double steal and Cellini easily threw out Guillen at second for the second out of the frame. Perez walked before moving to second on a wild pitch, but Green was able to get Zayas to strike out swinging to preserve the 5-3 victory.

Ronnie Lozada (1-2) earned the win, throwing the eighth inning for the Eagles after Maloney pitched six innings, allowing three hits and two runs and Rapose tossed an inning in relief.

Johnson finished 3-for-3 for the Blue and Gold while Chastain and Lemon each had two hits and an RBI for the Eagles.