DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - NAIA No. 5 Embry-Riddle used a 15-hit offensive outpouring to back-up senior left-hander Kevin Maloney on Thursday night in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round - Daytona Beach Bracket as the top-seeded Eagles came from behind to secure a 6-2 win over fourth-seeded Ave Maria in the day's nightcap. The Eagles (46-13) advance to take on second-seeded and NAIA No. 17 Concordia (Calif.) tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. in the winner's bracket final, while the Gyrenes (38-20) fall to the loser's bracket and will play the winner of Martin Methodist/Lindsey Wilson tomorrow night at 6 p.m.

Maloney was as good as asvertised on Thursday, holding the Gyrenes to two runs over nine innings, his first complete game of 2013. The Dunedin, Fla. native scattered nine hits and struck out eight Ave Maria batters as his offense gave him a lead in the second frame that he never relinquished.

Conor Sullivan collected an RBI single in the first to score Trace McDermott from third, giving AMU an early 1-0 lead, but the Eagles were able to get to Gyrene ace Joe Bocchino in the second when Liam Goodall plated a pair of Blue and Gold runs with a single through the left side of the infield, just out of the reach of McDermott at third, giving the Eagles a 2-1 advantage.

Both Maloney and Bocchino kept their opposition off-balance until the sixth when Ave Maria put runners at second and third with one out against Maloney. The left-hander struck out Hunter McCarthy on four pitches before getting Aaron Pigna to groundout for the third out in the frame, ending the threat.

Embry-Riddle busted the game open in the seventh with three runs, chasing Bocchino from the contest and taking a 5-1 lead. Tyler Robbins drew a leadoff walk, scoring when Kyle Chastain recorded his third triple in the last week. Jordan Romero doubled Chastain in for the second run of the inning and after Jeff Lemon singled Keith Ryan was brought in to relieve Bocchino. The first pitch Kevin Lindheim saw was flied down the left field line, scoring Romero from third on a sacrifice fly, but Ryan ended the inning with a pair of line outs.

AMU got a one back in the eighth with a groundout from Sullivan, but once again, Maloney ended the frame with a strikeout.

Mike Gragilla accounted for the final run of the night with an RBI single in the top of the ninth, scoring Lindheim from third.

Maloney (11-1) earned his 30th win in an Eagle uniform, moving to 30-1 in three seasons with the Eagles, while Bocchino slipped to 10-3 in 2013.

Jordan Johnson and Gragilla each had three hits and Goodall recorded two RBIs. The Eagles improved to 13-1 in the Opening Round all-time.