THOMASVILLE, Ga. – The NAIA No. 6 Embry-Riddle Eagles opened their final series of the 2013 regular season with a 6-3 road win over Thomas (Ga.) on Wednesday evening. The Eagles (38-12, 21-4) saw every starting position player collect a base hit while four Blue and Gold pitchers held the Night Hawks (23-24, 12-12) to just three runs on seven hits to come away with the win. Embry-Riddle and Thomas will conclude the series tomorrow in a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.

The visitors got on the board early, scoring a run in the first on a Kevin Lindheim single, but Thomas quickly answered with a run of its own in the last of the frame when Eagle starting pitcher Stetson Nelson walked in a run to knot the score at 1-1.

The Eagles took the lead for good in the top of the second, putting together a two-out rally to go ahead 4-1. Jordan Romero walked after two Eagles grounded out against Night Hawk starter Neal Hunter, and Kyle Chastain delivered a two-run homer in the next at-bat, pushing Embry-Riddle in front, 3-1. After Colt Hankamer walked on five pitches in the following plate appearance, Jeff Lemon doubled to right, scoring the Eagle second baseman and extending the ERAU lead to 4-1.

Nelson faced just one over the minimum in the second and third, and his team rewarded him with an insurance run in the top of the fourth when Hankamer raced home on a passed ball after he doubled and moved to third on a groundout.

Nelson stranded a pair of Thomas runners in the home-half of the fourth and got a double play to end the fifth and his outing.

Jon Rapose entered for Nelson in the sixth, going three-up, three-down to send the game to the final third of the contest.

Thomas cut into the Eagle lead in the seventh with a pair of runs off of Rapose, but Ronnie Lozada came in with a runner at first after the two runs had crossed the plate and got a harmless groundout to end the threat with the Eagles leading 5-3.

Lemon collected his second RBI of the day with a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth, chasing in Chastain after he walked, stole second and moved to third on a groundout.

Adam Cellini picked off a runner in the bottom of the eighth to end the inning before Eric Green struck out two of the three Thomas hitters he faced in the ninth to secure his 10th save of the year.

Nelson (7-2) pitched five innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits, while Chastain finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs, two stolen bases and three runs scored.