DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Seventh-ranked Embry-Riddle cranked out a season-high 14 hits while scoring double-digit runs for the first time in 2013 en route to a 10-4 win over visiting Warner on Friday night at Sliwa Stadium. The Eagles (10-2, 7-0) got six strong innings from
Kevin Maloney on the mound and led throughout the game to get back on track after a mid-week loss to Davenport on Tuesday. The Royals (6-13, 1-9) dropped their ninth consecutive game to the Blue and Gold.
Maloney (3-0) stranded a runner at third in the top of the first inning to set the tone for the Eagles, bringing his team to the plate where they struck for three runs against freshman starter Ryan Hagy (0-2).
Kevin Lindheim brought in a run with an RBI fielder's choice, reaching first safely as the Royals' shortstop, Sergio Perez, threw to third to attempt to get
Kyle Chastain, but the speedy center fielder was in under the tag, putting Eagles on the corners.
The Eagles elected to put pressure on the Warner defense and the gamble paid off as Lindheim stole second before moving to third on the errant throw by the Warner catcher, the first of four errors by the Royals on Friday, allowing Chastain to score from third.
Jeff Lemon accounted for the final run of the first with a single to right field, bringing home Lindheim and giving the Eagles a 3-0 advantage.
Maloney worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the second and the Eagles tacked on one more run in the bottom of the frame when
Adam Cellini doubled in
Tyler Robbins after Robbins reached base via a walk. Robbins' walk moved him past Branden Roper-Hubbert on the all-time walks' list, and the Port Orange, Fla. native now stands alone in third with 85 base on balls in his four-year Eagle career.
The home team added a fifth run in the third as
Matt Jacobs touched home on a wild pitch by Hagy, however, the Royals would reach the scoreboard in the fourth when Maloney uncharacteristically walked in a run with the bases loaded, cutting the Eagle lead to 5-1.
Blaine Rhea relieved Hagy in the fourth and pitched two shutout innings, giving way to Brad Benbow in the sixth. Benbow struggled with the Eagle hitters, giving up four runs in the frame off three hits, one each to Lindheim, Lemon and
Liam Goodall, all three bringing in a run. The Eagles also scored on a passed ball in the frame and after Benbow finally got out of the inning, the Eagle lead stood at 9-1.
Jon Rapose pitched the seventh for the Eagles, not allowing a run, but the Royal bats came alive in the eighth as a pair of hits and some erratic pitching by new Embry-Riddle pitcher
Benjamin-Antwan Brown allowed Warner to plate three runs, cutting the deficit to 9-4.
Jacobs accounted for the final run of the night with his team-leading fifth double, scoring Chastain in the eighth.
Dylan Demarest had a solid outing in the ninth, not allowing a hit and getting a force out at second to end the contest.
Maloney tossed six innings, giving up five hits and one unearned run while fanning a season-high seven batters. Rapose, Brown and Demarest all pitched one inning for the Blue and Gold.
Lemon finished 3-for-5 with a run and a pair of RBIs, while Jacobs added three hits, a run and an RBI.
Jordan Johnson, Goodall and Chastain each had two hits while Lindheim drove in his 12th and 13th runs of the season. Chastain also swiped three bases, bringing his season total to seven.
The Eagles and Royals will conclude their conference series tomorrow, Saturday, Mar. 2 with a twin bill starting at 1 p.m.
