Daniel Eaton was masterful in the final game of the DH. He tossed eight innings, allowed one unearned run on five hits while fanning six Baron batters.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A pair of regularly scheduled seven-inning affairs on Tuesday afternoon turned into two extra-inning contests as the fifth-ranked Embry-Riddle Eagles split a doubleheader with Brewton-Parker (Ga.) at Sliwa Stadium. The Barons won the first game, 7-6 in nine innings, before the Eagles emerged with a 2-1 walkoff victory in the nightcap, thanks to
Chris Page's home run in the bottom of the ninth. The twinbill split sends ERAU to 12-4 overall while the Barons move to 13-4.
Game 1 -
Boxscore
Wasted opportunities for the Eagles cost the hosts game one of the DH, as Embry-Riddle had the winning or tying run at second base with less than two outs three times in the final three frames in the opener. Brewton-Parker took advantage of the open door and pushed across a run in the top of the ninth before holding ERAU scoreless in the bottom half of the frame to preserve the win.
ERAU fell behind 1-0 in the third when Josh Palmer collected a two-out triple off of Eagle starter,
Adam Paulencu, then came home on Malcolm McCoy's single through the left side. But, Embry-Riddle would plate two runs of their own in the home-half of the third, taking a 2-1 lead.
Adam Cellini led the inning off with a double to left center, and his courtesy runner,
Jordan Romero, moved to third on a wild pitch by BPC starter, Ben Gillespie.
Greg Smith tripled to right center in the next at-bat, scoring Romero and putting the go-ahead run just 90 feet from home.
Frankie Arias collected an RBI with a groundout to the third baseman, scoring Smith.
Paulencu was unable to deliver a shutdown inning in the fourth, as five runs would come around to score, four credited to Paulencu, giving the Barons a 6-2 advantage.
Gillespie pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fourth, but found himself in trouble in the fifth.
Callahan Hood reached first on an error by the BPC shortstop, then moved to second when Cellini drew a walk. Arias doubled to right field to score Hood, and
JT Warmoth recorded an infield single to load the bases for
Ben Kline. Kline chased two runs home with a single through the left side, and
Ian MacGeorge tied the game up with a single to right field that plated Warmoth.
Eric Green entered for ERAU in the top of the sixth, putting forth his best outing to-date for the Eagles. Green stranded three runners in the sixth, seventh and eight frames, but ERAU was unable to score the winning run for him in the bottom of those innings.
Chris Carr began the top of the ninth with a single to right field, and was pinch ran for by Omar Artsen. Artsen stole second and then stole third as Tony Cannaday struck out swinging for the first out of the inning. Jacob Otwell brought Artsen home with a bunt back to Green, making the score 7-6 in favor of Brewton-Parker.
ERAU showed signs of a potential comeback in their half of the ninth when Arias walked to begin the inning, then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Warmoth. However, Arias attempted to steal third base during the next at-bat and was thrown out by BPC catcher Kelvin Espinosa for the second out of the inning. Kline walked before Page kept Embry-Riddle's hopes alive with a single through the right side, but BPC closer, Ryan Raymer, earned his fourth save of the 2012 season when he got
Ian MacGeorge to fly out to left field.
Green was saddled with the loss (0-1), pitching the final four innings, giving up one run on four hits. Joel McLaughlin picked up his fifth win of the year (5-0) for the Barons.
Arias went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored and Kline picked up two RBIs on one hit.
Game 2 -
Boxscore
The finale of the two-game series was a true pitcher's duel, as both starters went six-plus innings, giving up one unearned run apiece.
Daniel Eaton pitched a great game for the home team, and appeared to have his first win of the year wrapped up, but a costly error sent the game to extras where the Eagles needed the big bat of Page to send them to a victory.
Eaton faced off against Ryne Drummonds, a late replacement for the regularly slated starter who was injured during pre-game warmups. Drummonds surrendered what looked to be the game's only run in the second inning when
Chris Page came around to score on a
Garrett Gee single through the right side. Page singled to left field and moved to second on an error, ultimately touching home on Gee's single to give ERAU a 1-0 lead.
Eaton was in complete command of the strike zone, not giving up a hit until the fourth inning. The junior from Warner Robbins, Ga. struck out six batters in the game, and got a huge double play in the top of the seventh after the first two batters of the game reached safely. With two away, the runner at first, Demontez Jones, stole second base to put himself in scoring position. Daniel Jones grounded a weak ball to third base, but a fielding error allowed the ball to get into the outfield, and Jones scored from second, tying the game up at 1-1.
Eaton went three-up, three-down in the eighth, and ERAU put a runner on third with one out in the bottom of the frame when Smith tripled to left center. The Eagles were unable to execute with the winning run just 90 feet away, and the game moved to the ninth inning, still tied at 1-1.
David Lidyard relieved Eaton in the ninth, and after hitting the first batter, struck out two Barons and got Miguel Reyes to ground out to Kline at short to end the threat.
Page ended the game in the bottom of the ninth with a monster shot over the wall in right center, his fifth home run of the year, and the second time he has given the Eagles a walkoff victory in 2012.
Lidyard was awarded the victory (4-0), but Eaton finished with eight innings of work, allowing five hits, one unearned run on 115 pitches. Tony Voiro got the loss (0-1) in 2.1 innings of relief.
Page was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, while Gee finished 2-for-3 with an RBI.
The Eagles travel to Jacksonville, Fla. to take on former Sun Conference member Edward Waters in a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 1 p.m.