TAMPA, Fla. – In eight previous meetings, the winner of the Embry-Riddle vs.Tampa baseball matchup has scored at least five runs. That streak broke Tuesday night as the NCAA II No. 2 Spartans earned a walk-off victory, 2-1 over the visiting Eagles in the 10th inning. Embry-Riddle (32-11) stranded nine runners on the bases after scoring a run in the top of the first inning while the Spartans (29-6) scored once in the fifth and the final tally in the last of the 10th.

The Eagles got on the board right away in the first when Kevin Lindheim just missed a three-run homer with a long fly ball to left center that was caught at the fence, scoring Kyle Chastain from third and giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead. Chastain had reached on single to begin the game before swiping second for his 20^th stolen base of the season and moving to third when Jeff Lemon sacrificed himself via a bunt, advancing both Chastain and Colt Hankamer who had drawn a walk.

Chad Modomo kept the Blue and Gold up a run in the bottom of the first by stranding the Spartans' leadoff batter at third by striking out Jake Schrader and getting Zach Alvord to groundout to first to end the threat.

Jordan Johnson led off the second by breaking up Ben Brown's no-hit bid with a single up the middle, but after a sac bunt moved him into scoring position the Eagles were unable to bring him in, keeping the lead at just 1-0.

A nice defensive play by Eagle shortstop Jordan Romero erased a lead runner in the last of the second and Modomo managed to work around a pair of Spartan hits by again ending the inning on a groundout to first.

For the third straight inning the Blue and Gold had its leadoff hitter on base when Chastain doubled to right center, but again the Eagles couldn't bring in the run as Chastain was left at third when Lindheim flew out to right to end the threat.

The Eagles suffered their first three-up, three-down inning in the fourth, but Modomo followed that up with his second consecutive 1-2-3 frame in the home-half of the fourth.

Brown was relieved by Brad Hencke in the fifth and was able to strand a pair of Eagles on the bases with an inning-ending groundout off the bat of Lemon.

The Spartans broke through in the bottom of the fifth when Connor Obrochta collected an infield single, driving in Stephen Dezzi from third and knotting the score at 1-1. Chastain tracked down a hard-hit fly ball to left center, saving a run and with runners on the corners Modomo ended the frame with a fly out to left.

Liam Goodall recorded his third outfield assist of the season with a laser in the bottom of the sixth, throwing out the go-ahead run at the dish to preserve the 1-1 score and end the frame, and sending Modomo into the dugout after his six innings of work.

Aaron Gerbasi struck out the first two Eagles he faced in the seventh, but a dropped fly and single by Hankamer forced him from the game as Mike Adams entered from the bullpen with runners on first and second to face Lemon. Adams threw three pitches to the Eagle third baseman before Lemon flew out to left to end the inning and strand the seventh and eighth Blue and Gold runners of the contest.

Starting the last of the seventh on the mound was Jon Rapose and the junior lefty faced the minimum, sending the game to the eighth still tied at 1-1.

Jordan Johnson grounded into his first double play of 2013 to end the visitor-half of the seventh, erasing Adam Cellini after the Eagle catcher singled to left center with one out.

Rapose duplicated Adams' ground ball double play in the next half-inning, going an unconventional 1-2-3 to send the game to the ninth, still 1-1.

Embry-Riddle failed to reach base in the top of the ninth, but Tampa got its leadoff batter aboard when Sean O'Brien singled up the middle. Eagle Head Coach Randy Stegall elected to go to the bullpen for Ronnie Lozada and after a sac bunt moved the go-ahead run into scoring position Lozada got a lineout followed by a groundout to force the game into extra-innings, the second straight contest the Eagles had played that had gone beyond the scheduled nine frames.

After the Eagles went quietly in the top of the 10th, B.J. Zimmerman delivered a two-out RBI single through the left side of the infield, scoring Obrochta from second after he walked and stole second during the beginning of the frame.

Lozada was tagged with the loss, moving to 0-2 on the year, while Chastain and Hankamer both ended the game with two hits each.
 
Embry-Riddle maintained the No. 8 spot in the third regular season NAIA Coaches' Poll released on Tuesday, collecting 434 total points in the poll. ERAU's weekend opponent, St. Thomas moved up one spot to No. 19 in the rankings. For the complete poll, CLICK HERE.

The Eagles and Bobcats will meet up for a single game on Saturday, Apr. 13 at 6 p.m. followed by a doubleheader on Sunday, Apr. 14 at 1 p.m.