DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The seventh-ranked Embry-Riddle baseball team swept the sixth-ranked Point Park Pioneers in thrilling fashion on Friday afternoon, as the Eagles (18-3) defeated the Pioneers (7-7) 8-3 in game one and then walked-off with a 2-1 victory in nine innings in game two.
 
Both games were well contested, as the Eagles used seven runs in the final two innings of game one to pull away and then a pitchers' duel took two extra innings to determine a winner in game two.
 
Game One
 
Senior left-hander Kevin Maloney (4-0) improved to 23-0 in his Embry-Riddle career, as he got the call in game one for the Eagles. The 6-0, Dunedin, Fla. native didn't have his best stuff, but kept the Blue and Gold in the game with 5.1 innings of three-run baseball, scattering six hits, walking one, striking out one and hitting two batters.
 
The Eagle offense struck first, as Kevin Lindheim's sacrifice fly to centerfield scored Tyler Robbins, who led off the inning with a single, for a 1-0 lead.
 
It was a short-lived lead, however, as a throwing error by ERAU's Jeff Lemon put Marlon Leyva on second base and Maloney missed with a 1-2 pitch, hitting Ossie Alfonzo to put two runners on. A wild pitch put two runners in scoring position for Tom Pasinski who evened the score with an RBI groundout ahead of Jonathan Tasis who put the Pioneers ahead with a sacrifice fly to center.  Maloney induced a groundout to second base to strand two runners and end the inning.
 
The Blue and Gold threatened in the bottom of the second, loading the bases, but Jordan Johnson couldn't deliver as he struck out swinging.
 
Maloney was tagged for one more run in the top of the third as Leyva squared up a 3-2 pitch and sent it over the left field fence to increase the Point Park lead to two, 3-1.
 
The Eagles pounced on Pioneer starter Sean Clark (1-2) in the fifth as Jordan Johnson, Lindheim and Kyle Chastain each singled to load the bases. With two outs, Liam Goodall took an 0-2 pitch between the numbers, scoring Johnson and pulling ERAU to within one. Senior catcher Adam Cellini delivered a bases clearing, three-run triple to left field to break the game open, giving the Blue and Gold a 5-3 lead.
 
After an error by Eagles' first baseman Matt Jacobs put a runner on first, Tasis reached on an infield single to put runners at the corner with one out in the top of the sixth. Eric Green was called on in relief and got some help from the defense as Chaz Russo sent a 2-1 pitch to right field, leading to Lindheim catching the ball on the run before firing a strike to home plate to gun down Pasinski at the plate to end the inning.
 
The Eagles got some insurance in the bottom of the inning as Lindheim singled home Johnson, advancing David Belardes, a pinch runner for Lemon, to third to end the night for Clark. Toby Eigner came on in relief and was greeted by Chastain who flew out to center, scoring Belardes to give ERAU the 7-3 lead. After the Blue and Gold loaded the bases with two outs, a wild pitch scored Jacobs to give the Eagles the five-run margin of victory, 8-3.
 
Maloney allowed just one earned run on six hits, while Green was stellar again in relief, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings allowing just one hit en route to his fourth save of the season and second in as many days.
 
Cellini and Lindheim paced the offense going 2-for-4 and 2-for-3, respectively. Cellini tallied three RBIs while Lindheim added two of his own and scored a run.
 
Game Two
 
Numbers proved to be deceiving in game two, as Pioneers' starter Nathan Sphon (0-3) was the tough luck loser in a pitchers' duel, allowing just two runs after entering the game with a 12.82 ERA.
 
The Eagles were the first to threaten in the bottom of the second as Lindheim and Chastain led off with back-to-back singles, advancing to second and third on a Cellini sacrifice bunt. The Eagles couldn't get the hit they needed as Goodall flied to shallow right field and Jacobs grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning.
 
The Pioneers returned the favor in the third as ERAU starter Stetson Nelson put runners on first and second with one out with a single and a walk. Don McDuffee attempted to sacrifice the runners with a bunt, but it was too hard back to Nelson who was able to get the lead runner at third and then induced an inning-ending groundout.
 
Neither team would threaten again until the bottom of the fifth, when the Eagles drew first blood on a sacrifice fly from Johnson which scored Belardes, who was pinch running for Jacobs who had walked to start the inning.
 
Nelson couldn't make the lead stand as a single by McDuffee followed by a sacrifice bunt and a groundout to the right side advanced him to third for Point Park designated hitter Javy Marticorena. Marticorena delivered the game-tying RBI single through the right side on a ball that bounced over the glove of Johnson into right field.
 
Nelson's night ended with runners on second and third with one out in the top of the seventh, giving way to closer Ronnie Lozada. The 5-10 junior right-hander slammed the door on the Pioneers, striking out Russo and forcing McDuffee to fly out to left field.
 
Lozada, whose longest previous outing was 1.1 innings, struggled in his second inning of work, walking the first two hitters before giving way to Green. With two runners on and nobody out, Green faced three batters, striking out Alfonzo to end the frame.
 
Green tossed a perfect ninth, paving the way for more Eagle dramatics. After Cellini collected his only hit of the game, courtesy runner Connor Williams advanced to second with one out as Jacobs singled through the left side. Sophomore Dillon Ennis, who entered the game with just one hit and was 0-2 entering his final at-bat, singled down the left field line, scoring Williams to win the game 2-1.
                                                                                                                    
Nelson tossed 6.1 innings of four-hit baseball, allowing one run while striking out five and walking one. Lozada lasted 0.2 innings walking two and striking out one while Green improved to 2-0 with a perfect two innings of work, striking out three.
 
Lindheim finished 2-for-3 with a walk while the hero for the Eagles, Ennis, finished 1-for-3 with one RBI.
 
Embry-Riddle returns to the field tomorrow at 2 p.m. as they host the Viterbo V-Hawks for one nine-inning contest at Sliwa Stadium.