Adam Cellini hit a solo homer for the hosts.
Boxscore
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Just 24 hours after recording the 900th win in program history, the No. 5 Embry-Riddle Eagles couldn't keep pace with the No. 7 Cumberland (Tenn.) Bulldogs, falling 8-3 on Wednesday night at Sliwa Stadium. The Eagles won the series, two games to one, but the finale loss puts ERAU at 17-6 overall while giving CU a 12-9 mark.
Sam Lind set the tone early on for Cumberland, blasting a two-run home run over the fence in right field off of Eagle starter
Chad Modomo in the top of the first inning to give CU a 2-0 lead. Modomo was able to get a ground ball double play to end the inning, but the Eagles couldn't cut into the lead in either the first or the second frames.
Cumberland blew the game open in the third with four runs on five hits and an Eagle error to take a commanding 6-0 lead for their starter, Cody Ferrell.
Ferrell didn't surrender a hit until the sixth inning, even though ERAU chalked a run up in the fourth when
Jordan Romero scored on an
Ian MacGeorge groundout.
The Bulldogs added two more runs in their half of the fourth, and were in the position to add more, but
Daniel Eaton relieved Modomo with two runners on and no outs and struck out the three batters he faced in the inning to send the Eagles back into the dugout.
Eaton proved to be the bright spot for the Eagles in the contest, working on short rest after throwing seven innings in Embry-Riddle's win over Bellevue (Neb.) on Sunday. He threw four scoreless innings, giving up just one hit to the potent Bulldog offense while striking out eight batters, including the first five he faced.
Ferrell kept the Blue and Gold batters off balance until the seventh when
Adam Cellini began the inning with a solo homer to left field, bringing the score to 8-2.
Greg Smith singled with one out and moved to second when
Frankie Arias beat out an infield bunt single in the following at-bat.
Garrett Gee drew a pinch hit walk before
Ben Kline flew out to center field for a sacrifice fly, scoring Smith from third.
Adam Paulencu came in for Eaton in the eighth, and the junior was solid in the final two innings, striking out three while only allowing one hit.
ERAU put runners on the corners with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but Mike Mandarino struck out
Chris Page to end the game and secure the 8-3 win for CU.
Modomo (4-2) was saddled with the loss, surrendering eight runs (seven earned) on 12 hits in three innings. Eaton and Paulencu threw the final six innings, giving up just two hits while fanning 11 combined batters.
The Eagles will host Aquinas (Mich.) tomorrow (Thursday, Mar. 8) at Sliwa Stadium at 6 p.m.
