DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Embry-Riddle will enter next week's showdown with No. 11 and 16-time NAIA National Champion Lewis-Clark State with a five-game winning streak after the Eagles completed a three-game Sun Conference sweep of Northwood (Fla.) on Saturday, thanks to a pair of wins over NU, 5-0 and 13-2. The Eagles improve to 24-7 overall and 11-2 in Sun Conference play, improving their hold on first to a one-game advantage over USCB and St. Thomas (Fla.). The Seahawks drop to 11-14 overall and 2-12 in league action.
Game 1 -
Boxscore
Daniel Eaton only needed one run in the opener on Saturday, he got five from his offense en route to a complete game, 5-0 shutout of the Seahawks to secure the conference series victory. Eaton scattered seven hits over nine innings, walking only one batter while fanning seven on 113 total pitches.
The Eagles scored three times in the first inning thanks to two hits and a Seahawk error. The first run, and what would prove to be the winning run, was scored when
Ben Kline doubled to center field after
Frankie Arias and
Tyler Robbins drew walks to begin the frame. Arias and Robbins came around to score, and Kline later touched home on a sacrifice fly by
Jordan Romero.
Eaton worked effortlessly through the next five innings, allowing only two hits from the second to the sixth, but his counterpart, NU's Chris Buddee, did the same, keeping the Eagles from pulling away.
Buddee was finally touched up for one more run in the seventh, again Kline proved to be instrumental, doubling down the right field line with one out, then scoring on a
Chris Page single to center field in the next at-bat.
Eaton stranded two Seahawks in the eighth, and ERAU delivered a final insurance run in their half of the frame.
Mike Gragilla collected a pinch hit double to lead things off for ERAU and then
Greg Smith beat out an infield single on a bunt to put runners on first and third with no outs. Smith stole second before Arias chased in the fifth Eagle run with a sacrifice fly to score
David Belardes from third.
After the leadoff batter reached first on an Eagle error in the ninth, Eaton got a foul out, a strike out and finally a ground ball that led to a force at second for the final out of the contest.
Eaton (2-2) got the win in his nine-inning outing, while Buddee (1-3) received the loss.
Kline went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Page collected two hits, as did Smith.
Game 2 -
Boxscore
Robbie Ratliff followed Eaton's impressive performance with a solid one of his own, striking out six Seahawks en route to his third win of the year in a 13-2 run-rule shortened victory.
The Seahawks were the ones to strike first, scoring a run in the top of the third to take their second lead of the series. However, Arias quickly turned a one-run Eagle deficit into a one-run Eagle lead with his two-run home run in the bottom half of the third. Smith singled through the right side with one out before Arias blasted his second homer of the year over the fence in left field.
Ratliff found himself in a jam when Northwood loaded the bases in the fourth, but he was able to strike out Ozzie Valbueno to end the threat and the inning.
The Eagles plated four runs in the fourth, starting when
Nick Godfrey doubled to left center to score Gragilla. Smith followed Godfrey with a two-run triple to right field, bringing in
Tyler Robbins and
Jeff Lemon. Smith touched home when Romero singled back up the middle, giving ERAU a 6-1 lead.
Northwood got a single run in the top of the sixth, but Embry-Riddle ended any Seahawks' hopes with a five-run bottom-half of the frame, the big damage coming off a MacGeorge double off the wall in left field, bringing in three Eagle runs.
The game ended in the bottom of the seventh when Kline doubled in Smith and Arias to give the Eagles a 13-2 run-rule victory.
Ratliff (3-1) tossed six innings, scattering eight hits, surrendering two runs while striking out six.
Eric Green pitched one inning and gave up one hit.
MacGeorge was 1-for-4 with three RBIs, while Arias, Romero and Kline all chipped in two RBIs in the game.
The Eagles will be making their first-ever regular season trip to Lewiston, Idaho this coming week to take on Lewis-Clark State in four games. Live Stats and a live chat will be provided via
Game Central, while LCSC provides live audio via
KOZE Sports.