DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Third-ranked Embry-Riddle never trailed on Saturday as the Eagle pitching staff held the University of South Carolina Beaufort to just three hits in a twin bill sweep of the Sand Sharks, 4-0 and 3-1.
Stetson Nelson nearly tossed the second straight complete game for the ERAU staff with an 8.2 inning outing, surrendering just two hits to USCB while fanning six in a 4-0 shutout to claim the conference series.
Corey Tufts and
Clayton Wagner teamed up for a one-hitter in the third and final game of the series, allowing just one run to USCB in a sweep clinching 3-1 victory. The Eagles improved to 5-5 overall and 5-1 in The Sun Conference while USCB fell to 4-4 and 2-4 in league play.
The Blue and Gold will next take the field in Tuscaloosa, Ala. for a three-game set against NCAA II Stillman, starting with a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. (CST) and concluding with a 1 p.m. (CST) contest on Sunday, Feb. 23.
Game 1 - ERAU 4, USCB 0
An expected pitcher's duel between Nelson and USCB ace Junior Delatorre lived up to the hype as the pair of hurlers threw seven scoreless innings before the home team finally broke through in the eighth to claim a 4-0 shutout win.
No hits were recorded by either team until
Kyle Chastain singled down the left field line in the third, but the senior outfielder was cut down at second trying to steal to end the frame.
Kevin Lindheim collected a one-out double in the fourth, but was stranded by Delatorre when the USCB right-hander struck out
J Rhet Montana and
Darryl Knight to end the threat.
The Blue and Gold wasted a golden opportunity in the fifth with runners on second and third with one out before having bases loaded with two down, but again Delatorre shut the door as the game moved to the sixth still scoreless.
Nelson returned the favor in the seventh when Blake Cilwick reached third with one out, but a ground ball to Montana at third was thrown home as Cilwick was gunned down at the plate to preserve the tie.
Delatorre stymied the Eagle offense again in the seventh as ERAU had the bases loaded, but
Jake Cavender popped up a pitch to shallow right center that was caught for the final out of the inning.
Christian Pfaff entered the game for Delatorre in the eighth and the reliever couldn't continue his predecessor's success, giving up a single to Lindheim and walking Montana and Knight before a wild pitch brought in the first run of the game.
Liam Goodall continued his hot streak with a single back up the middle that brought home two runs and
Jordan Johnson accounted for the final tally with a single through the right side as Goodall touched home.
With a 4-0 lead, Nelson got two outs, but after two USCB runners reached base,
Randy Stegall went to the bullpen for
Ronnie Lozada and the senior from Miami, Fla. threw three pitches to record the first save of 2014 for ERAU as Jon Andrews grounded out to third.
Nelson finished with 8.2 innings of work, two hits allowed and six strikeouts to move to 2-0 on the season. Lindheim collected a pair of hits while Goodall finished 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.
Game 2 - ERAU 3, USCB 1
The series finale featured another impressive pitching performance, this time from sophomore Tufts. The Clermont, Fla. native tossed six innings, allowing just one hit and one run while issuing five walks and striking out five as the Eagles held on for a 3-1 win.
Shane Murli got the nod for USCB to begin the game and looked good for the Sand Sharks, matching Tufts pitch-for-pitch until the third when he suffered an injiury after coming down awkwardly on his left leg after a pitch. Hunter Engleheart relieved the Sand Shark starter, but struggled against the Eagles, allowing two runs on a pair of hits from Goodall and Montana after Chastain scored on a fielding error by the second baseman. Goodall's single brought home
Jordan Johnson and Montana's base hit scored Lindheim as the Eagles took a 3-0 cushion into the fourth.
Tufts struck out two and induced a ground ball out in the fourth for a big shutdown inning for ERAU, but the Eagles couldn't add any more runs to their total after Stephen Richards entered for Engleheart.
Richards and Tufts continued to get out of jams through the next few frames and in the top of the seventh Tufts was removed for Wagner after USCB put runners onfirst and second with no outs. Wagner struck out the side, but a run still scored after a wild pitch got by Knight as USCB cut into the lead, 3-1.
Richards was masterful for the visitors over the final three innings, but Wagner was better, setting down the final nine batters he faced to preserve the 3-1 win and earn his first save of the year.
Tufts got the win (1-2) in six innings of work while Wagner's three innings of relief were nearly perfect as the left-hander did not allow a hit or issue a walk.
Goodall went 3-for-4 with an RBI while Montana collected the only other Eagle RBI on one hit.
Over the course of the three-game series with the Sand Sharks, the Eagle pitching staff allowed just three runs on nine hits while striking out 26 USCB batters.
