GAMEDAY CENTRAL
#7 Embry-Riddle (3-1, 0-0) vs. Southeastern (4-4, 0-0)
DATE: Friday, Feb. 8 - Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013
CITY: Daytona Beach, Fla.
SITE: Sliwa Stadium
FIRST PITCH FRIDAY: 6 p.m.
FIRST PITCH SATURDAY: 1 p.m. (DH)
LIVE STATS: Stretch Internet
LIVE AUDIO: Stretch Internet
LIVE VIDEO: Stretch Internet
CURRENT STREAK: L1
LAST 5 GAMES (DATING BACK TO 2012): 3-2
LAST 10 GAMES (DATING BACK TO 2012): 6-4
AT HOME IN 2013: 3-1
SERIES: Embry-Riddle leads 15-2
LAST MEETING: Embry-Riddle won 5-4 | Mar. 31, 2012
AT A GLANCE
The Eagles host Southeastern in the first Sun Conference series for both teams this weekend at Sliwa Stadium. Embry-Riddle opened the 2013 season with a 3-1 weekend on Feb. 1-2, taking two of three from #20 Georgetown (Ky.) and downing Webber International in a non-conference matchup, all four games were one-run affairs.
The Fire (4-4) have had a back-and-forth first couple weeks of the season, splitting series with Edward Waters and Emmanuel before dropping two of three in a series against Brewton-Parker on the road. Most recently the Fire beat Florida Christian College 10-9 on Tuesday.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Brothers Johnnie and George Kirkland are amongst the Fire leaders on the mound and at the dish as Johnnie, a senior pitcher, is 1-1 with a 3.46 ERA in two starts. The elder Kirkland has struck out 21 batters in just 13.0 innings of work, holding opponents to a .178 batting average. George, a sophomore infielder, is hitting .294 with five hits and a pair of RBIs.
The Eagles have received positive contributions with the bat from transfer outfielders Kevin Lindheim and Kyle Chastain. Lindheim has four hits, two of which have gone for extra bases and has recorded five RBIs while scoring three times. Chastain is hitting .333 with three extra-base knocks and four RBIs and is also 3-for-3 on the base paths.
SCOUTING SOUTHEASTERN
Jason Beck is in his ninth season at the helm of the Fire program, putting together a record of 339-179-1 while at SEU. Southeastern's first three seasons in The Sun Conference have resulted in a tie for sixth, tie for second and an eight-place finish in the league standings. Two things fans can expect from the Fire is solid defense and an attempt to create chaos while on the bases. Southeastern has led the conference in fielding percentage and stolen bases in each of the last two seasons.
SEU also boasts one of the best closers in the country in Phillip Kish. Kish has recorded 27 saves in three seasons for the Fire with a 3.11 ERA. The senior has surrendered just 10 extra-base hits in 209 at-bats.
LAST GAME: Seventh-Ranked Eagles Drop One-Run Contest to #20 Georgetown (Feb. 2, 2012)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - In the final game of Embry-Riddle's season opening weekend, the Tigers scored twice in the seventh to come back from 6-5 down and send the Eagles to their first loss of the year.
Stetson Nelson started for the first time as an Eagle and looked dominant in the first two frames, getting a 1-0 lead to work with when Liam Goodall singled in Chastain from second in the bottom of the second.
The Tigers were able to take a 2-1 lead in the following half-inning when Mike Steinke got a two-out single to right that brought in a pair of Georgetown runners.
Both starting pitchers held their opponents hitless over the next couple innings, but Nelson got in trouble in the fifth when the Tigers scored three runs after a pair of Eagle errors allowed the inning to continue.
With a 5-1 lead, Georgetown starter Shaun Meyer loaded the bases with one out and was relieved by Jordan Nekola. Lindheim worked a full count before drawing an RBI walk that scored Clint Whitman and Chastain tied the game with one swing of the bat when he took the first pitch he saw into right-center, clearing the bases with a double.
Chad Richie replaced Nekola after he hit Jeff Lemon with a pitch and a double steal by Chastain and Lemon's pinch runner David Belardes put two Eagles in scoring position. The Eagles attempted a double-squeeze on a Goodall bunt with Chastain scoring easily, but Belardes getting tagged out by Richie at home.
Dylan Demarest came in for Nelson to begin the sixth and went quickly through the Tigers in the inning. He got one out in the seventh, but a single and walk chased him from the game as Eric Green entered.
Green surrendered a double that tied the game at 6-6 and in the following at-bat a wild pitch allowed Georgetown to take the lead for good as Moore scored from third.
Lindheim recorded a single in the bottom of the seventh, but Richie shut the door as he got Chastain and Lemon to fly out to end the game.
Demarest was tagged with the loss as Richie earned the win for GC. Chastain finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored and Goodall went 1-for-2 with a pair of RBIs.
CONFERENCE OPENERS
Embry-Riddle is 16-7 all-time in conference openers dating back to the 1990 season. The Eagles have never opened up league play against the Fire. Southeastern is a perfect 3-0 in conference openers since joining The Sun Conference before the 2010 season.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Embry-Riddle is 15-2 against the Fire, including 13 straight dating back to 2009. Last season the Eagles traveled to Lakeland and came away with three wins, two by three runs and one by a single run.
The lone meeting in the postseason between ERAU and SEU came at the conference tournament in 2011 when the Eagles eliminated the Fire, 9-1.
300 WINS...AND THEN 400 LOSSES
Randy Stegall earned his 300th career win when the Eagles finished a sweep of Georgetown last Friday night, but the Tigers returned the favor the next day when they sent Embry-Riddle to its 400th loss in program history. Stegall is now 301-125-2 overall, 232-81 at Embry-Riddle and 104-22 in The Sun Conference. The Eagles are 930-400-1 in 25 seasons.
MODOMO AND MALONEY MAGNIFICENT ON THE MOUND
Chad Modomo and Kevin Maloney both began the 2013 season on high notes after last weekend's games. Modomo tossed a three-hit complete game against Georgetown, allowing one earned run, while Maloney earned his 20th career victory in a 5.2-inning outing against the Tigers.
NEXT TO 150
Tyler Robbins inched his way closer to the 150-Hit Club with a single last weekend, he now needs 28 hits in his senior season to become the 18th member. Hailing from Port Orange, Fla., Robbins has 122 hits in three seasons with a .306 average from the plate and is fourth in Eagle history with 82 walks.
QUARTER CENTURY OF EAGLE BASEBALL
The 2013 season marks the 25th edition of Eagle baseball and Embry-Riddle athletics overall. The basketball, baseball, men's tennis and men's golf programs began in the 1988-89 academic year and were the foundation the rest of the department was built upon.
Embry-Riddle is 930-400-1 in 25 seasons, capturing 13 conference regular season titles, four conference tournament titles, seven regional crowns, claiming 28 NAIA All-America honors, 35 Honorable Mention All-American honors and advancing to the NAIA World Series 11 times (T-4th most in NAIA history).
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#7 Embry-Riddle (3-1, 0-0)
vs.
Southeastern (4-4, 0-0)
2/8/13 | Daytona Beach, Fla. - Sliwa Stadium | 6 p.m.
2/9/13 | Daytona Beach, Fla. - Sliwa Stadium | 1 p.m. (DH)
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