WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A walk-off homer in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader kept the seventh-ranked Embry-Riddle Eagles from a sweep of host Northwood over the weekend. The Eagles (23-5, 10-2) stranded 14 runners in the opener, falling 4-3 to the Seahawks (22-11-1, 7-5) before riding the arm of Stetson Nelson in an 8-0 victory in the series' rubber match. Embry-Riddle took two-of-three from the Seahawks, keeping a one-game lead in front of both St. Thomas (12-3) and Ave Maria (9-3) in The Sun Conference standings.

Game 1
The Eagles led 3-1 after four innings, but the Seahawks pushed two runs across in the sixth and kept the Blue and Gold from scratching the go-ahead run over the plate before Noel Garcia took the first pitch of the home-half of the ninth over the fence in left to give Northwood a 4-3 victory.

Chad Modomo started on the hill for Embry-Riddle, posting a quality start with six innings of work, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits while fanning five. Brian Johnson, Eric Green and Ronnie Lozada each saw action for the Eagles on the mound.

Both teams went quietly in the opening two frames, but the visitors got a two-out, two-RBI single from Jeff Lemon in the third to take a 2-0 lead. However, the Seahawks would cut the advantage to just one run on a Manuel Gonzalez single in the last of the third, bringing the score to 2-1.

The Eagles loaded the bases in the fourth as Kyle Chastain singled to begin the inning before stealing second and subsequently third before Jordan Romero and Liam Goodall both walked to load the bags with two outs. Tyler Robbins battled back from a 1-2 count to draw an RBI walk, pushing the ERAU lead to 3-1, but that proved to be the final run the Eagles would get in the contest.

Modomo kept Northwood at bay until the sixth when two Northwood hits and an RBI groundout knotted things up at 3-3.

Green relieved Johnson (who had relieved Modomo to begin the frame) in the seventh with runners on first and third and managed to keep Northwood from pulling ahead and kept the score at 3-3.

Embry-Riddle put a runner at second with no outs in the eighth, but an attempt to swipe third was easily snuffed out by the Seahawk catcher and the Eagles failed to touch home for the fourth straight inning.

Lozada stranded two Seahawks in the bottom of the eighth, but J.D. Tyler returned the favor in the ninth, leaving the bags full of Eagles by inducing a pop up to end the inning and scoring threat.

Lozada's first pitch to Garcia in the last of the ninth ended the game as Garcia took it over the fence in left to account for the 4-3 final.

Lozada (0-1) was tagged with the loss while Tyler (3-0) got credit for the win. Lemon and Romero each collected a pair of hits for the Blue and Gold who dropped to 8-3 in one-run games.

Game 2
Although the Eagles stranded 12 men on the bases in the get-away game, only one run was needed as Stetson Nelson pitched his third complete game of 2013, scattering five Northwood hits while striking out an individual season-high 11 batters en route to the 8-0 decision.

Embry-Riddle got a pair of runs in the second, one when Adam Cellini singled through the right side to score Kevin Lindheim from third, and the other when Jordan Romero singled to right off of Seahawk starter Anthony Seblano, chasing home Matt Jacobs.

The Eagles tacked on a run in the third when Lemon brought in Robbins, bringing the score to 3-0 in favor of the Blue and Gold.

Nelson took a perfect game into the fifth when it was broken up by Richie Rielly, but with a 4-0 cushion thanks to a Kyle Chastain sacrifice fly in the top of the inning, Nelson cruised through the rest of the game, allowing just one Seahawk to reach scoring position in the entire contest.

Goodall added an RBI single in the eighth and the Eagles put the game out of reach in the ninth with a trio of runs as Clint Whitman, Cellini and Goodall all recorded RBIs.

Nelson (5-1) tossed all nine innings, giving up five hits, no walks while striking out 11 on 112 pitches.

Five Eagles collected multiple hits in the game, led by Lindheim and Romero with three each. Goodall and Cellini recorded two RBIs apiece and the Eagles pounded out a season-high 15 base hits.

Embry-Riddle plays host to NAIA No. 8 Lewis-Clark State for four games next week at Sliwa Stadium, starting with a Tuesday contest in Daytona. All four games (Tue., Thurs., Fri. and Sat.) will begin at 6 p.m.