DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -The fifth-ranked Embry-Riddle Eagles needed two victories on Saturday afternoon to secure the series win over Sun Conference foe Webber International, and two wins was exactly what they got behind the arms of juniors
Chad Modomo and
Kevin Maloney. The doubleheader sweep (8-2, 7-0) gave ERAU their 10th and 11th victories of the season, and their 17th straight conference series win, dating back to 2010. ERAU improved to 11-3 and 8-1, while the Warriors dropped to 4-7 and 1-2.
Game 1 - Boxscore
The Blue and Gold was in desperate need of some offensive firepower after putting up just two runs on four hits in Friday's defeat to the Warriors. ERAU scored two runs in the second, third and fourth frames in Saturday's opener to jump out to an early 6-0 lead, and Modomo kept the Warriors from getting close, holding them to just six hits througn 7.2 innings.
Mike Gragilla got things started for the Eagles in the second, taking a 2-0 pitch down the left field line to score
Chris Page and
Ian MacGeorge after the two had walked and singled to begin the inning. Modomo went 1-2-3 in the third to keep momentum with his team, and ERAU delivered, plating two more runs in the home-half of the third.
Frankie Arias collected an infield single to start the inning, moving to second on a passed ball with
JT Warmoth at the dish. Warmoth moved Arias to third with a single through the left side before
Ben Kline brought his fellow senior in from third with a sacrifice fly to center field. After a flyout, MacGeorge kept the inning alive with a single up the middle, putting two Eagles on for Gragilla. The Charlotte, N.C. native again came through, this time with a single that chased in Warmoth from second, pushing ERAU's lead to 4-0.
The Warriors went three-up, three-down in the fourth as they failed to find an answer for Modomo the second time through the lineup.
Left fielder
Greg Smith helped produce the fifth run of the game for ERAU, drawing a one-out walk in the fourth, moving to second on a wild pitch and stealing third to put himself just 90 feet from home plate. Arias brought in Smith with a single to center field, and then Arias proceeded to steal second, then third, before coming home on Warmoth's RBI down the right field line.
WIU finally got on the scoreboard with a single run in the fifth, but Embry-Riddle answered in the sixth when Kline doubled home Arias after the Caracas, Venezuela native reached first safely on a fielding error by the WIU shortstop.
MacGeorge became the first Eagle to homer at home in 2012 with his solo shot in the bottom of the seventh, increasing the Eagle lead to 8-1. Modomo allowed the second run of the day in the eighth, but
Robbie Ratliff came in with two outs and struck out Shane McIntyre to end the inning without any further damage.
Ratliff gave up two hits in the ninth, but he ended the game when he got Taylor Mathis to ground a ball right back to him before he flipped to first for the final out of the contest.
Modomo was masterful in 7.2 innings, ending with eight strikeouts on 109 pitches. He moves to 3-0 with the win and drops his season ERA to 3.33.
Gragilla was 2-for-3 with three RBIs, Arias went 2-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored, while Kline finished 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs.
Game 2 -
Boxscore
Maloney followed Modomo's performance with a brilliant outing of his own, shutting the Warriors out, just the second time the Eagles have done so this season. Maloney was matched in the first three innings by Webber International ace Ryan O'Gara. O'Gara and Maloney worked scoreless innings through the first three frames, but it was Maloney who was able to keep his opponent in check the rest of the way, as O'Gara was chased from the game after four innings.
Maloney didn't give up a hit until the fourth, facing the minimum number of batters through three. Maloney stranded Travis Noland at second in the fourth when he struck out Hunter Ovens to end the frame.
ERAU plated their first, and what would prove to be the winning run in the bottom of the fourth. With one out and Kline at first, the senior shortstop stole second to put himself in scoring position for MacGeorge. MacGeorge came through with his eighth double of the season to plate Kline and give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
Maloney sandwiched a groundout with a pair of strikeouts in the top of the fifth, sending ERAU back on offense where they would reward him with a four-spot to take a 5-0 lead. Smith began the inning with a walk before moving to second on an Arias bunt that he was able to beat out for a hit. Both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch before Warmoth brought in one run with an RBI to center field. Kline hit a hotshot to the third baseman who attempted to tag Arias at third, but the centerfielder got back in time, allowing everyone to be safe, loading the bases for
Chris Page. Page drew a bases-loaded walk to force across Arias, keeping the bags juiced. Robbie Payton relieved O'Gara at that point, getting MacGeorge to strike out, but Gragilla plated another run with an RBI fielder's choice to second base, and when the throw got away from the SS, Kline was able to run home to make it 5-0 in favor of the hosts.
Maloney stranded two runners in the sixth, and again ERAU pushed across a run when Warmoth singled through the right side to bring in Arias in the bottom of the inning.
Maloney would pitch the seventh and eighth innings unscathed, but got into a little trouble in the ninth. Leading 7-0, Maloney surrendered two singles to begin the frame, and would be replaced by
David Lidyard. Lidyard got a flyout before giving up a single to load the bases. He then struck out pinch hitter Shae Cothran and Nick Pascente to end the game, and preserve the shutout.
Maloney moved to 3-0 with his eight-inning effort, giving up seven hits and two walks, while fanning five.
Warmoth was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored, Arias went 2-for-5 with a pair of runs and Smith finished 2-for-3 with two runs as well.
The Eagles continue their homestand with a doubleheader against Brewton-Parker (Ga.) on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 3 p.m.
