#15 Embry-Riddle (26-14, 15-2) def. Ave Maria (15-25, 4-13) 3/29/14 | Ave Maria, Fla. - Bowie's Ballpark | A: 83 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Embry-Riddle 1 0 2 5 0 0 1 0 2 11 14 1 Ave Maria 1 1 1 0 3 1 0 1 0 8 13 1 Pitching IP H R ER BB SO W: Lidyard (6-1) 4.2 5 2 1 0 2 L: Bocchino (1-9) 4.0 10 8 7 1 4 Batting AB R H RBI BB HR Knight (ERAU) 4 1 1 2 1 1 Lindheim (ERAU) 5 2 3 3 0 0 Bruehl (ERAU) 4 1 2 0 0 0 Related Links • Box Score • Season Stats

AVE MARIA, Fla. - Embry-Riddle outslugged Ave Maria, 11-8 on Saturday afternoon to claim The Sun Conference series over the Gyrenes, but weather postponed the series finale between the two teams until Sunday, March 30 at 12 p.m. The Eagles (26-14, 15-2) will bat in the top of the fifth with a 5-0 lead over Ave Maria (15-25, 4-13) when play resumes at Bowie's Ballpark on Sunday.

Embry-Riddle exploded for 11 runs on 14 hits, including two doubles, a triple and a home run while David Lidyard held off the Gyrenes' comeback attempt. ERAU hung a crooked number in the fourth with a five spot, but Ave Maria chipped away, chasing starter Stetson Nelson from the game in the fifth before Lidyard finished the game for the Blue and Gold.

The Eagles manufactured a run in the first inning after Kyle Chastain started the game with an infield single. Liam Goodall bunted Chastain into scoring position before Kevin Lindheim singled him home with a bleeder though the right side of the infield. Darryl Knight was retired for the first time in the series on a strikeout before Jake Cavender was hit by a pitch, and Joe Bocchino was able to get out of the first inning jam with an induced groundout off the bat of J Rhet Montana.
 
A leadoff walk (his first walk since March 1) came back to bite Stetson Nelson in the bottom of the first as Tommy Lentine moved to second on a sacrifice bunt before scoring on James Lesniewski's two-out single to left center, knotting the game at 1-1.
 
The Gyrenes took advantage of another walk issued by Nelson in the second when Nick Sacchetta scored from second as Patrick Fahey beat out an infield hit for a 2-1 AMU lead.
 
An AMU error in the top of the third helped the Eagle cause as two runs eventually came around to score in the frame on Montana's single over the third baseman's head. Lindheim singled before Knight grounded a pitch toward short and into what appeared to be a tailor made double play, but Aaron Pigna was unable to handle the ball and both runners were safe. After a Cavender walk to load the bases, Montana hit a high chopper that got over the head of Kellen Creech, the AMU third baseman, driving in both Lindheim and Knight's courtesy runner, Logan Bailey, for a 3-2 Eagle lead.
 
Back-to-back one-out singles put Gyrene runners on the corners in the last of the third and Pigna was able to make up for his error with an RBI groundout to tie the game at 3-3.
 
A double from Hunter Bruehl and a bloop single from Kyle Buchanan put the first two Eagles on in the fourth before Goodall and Lindheim brought in a run and two runs, respectively. Knight hit his second home run in as many games, this time going opposite field to score two more runs as the lead expanded to 8-3 in favor of the Blue and Gold.
 
Nelson delivered the first three-up, three-down inning for the Eagles in the last of the fourth, keeping the momentum in the ERAU dugout. However, after Ray Messner worked through the top of the fifth, the home team got to Nelson, recording four doubles, including three straight to begin the frame as the Gyrenes plated three runs to cut the deficit to 8-6. David Lidyard made his second appearance in the series and got out of the inning without any further damage, getting a fly out and a strikeout to end the AMU threat.
 
The momentum continued with the Gyrenes in the sixth as Messner worked quickly through the Blue and Gold hitters before AMU got a run to get within 8-7 on a Kolbe Andrade RBI single.

Cavender was able to give the Eagles a little more cushion in the seventh after he singled, moved to second on a wild pitch before advancing to third on Jordan Johnson's fly ball to right field. The Eagle shortstop touched home on another Messner wild pitch, moving the score to 9-7 in favor of ERAU.
 
An error and double put two AMU runners on with no outs in the last of the eighth, but Lidyard was able to keep the damage at a minimum after a sacrifice fly scored the eighth run of the day for Ave Maria. Lidyard got a ground out and fly out to end the inning and keep the Eagles in front, 9-8.
 
Knight drew a leadoff walk in the ninth before a sac bunt moved his courtesy runner to second. Colt Hankamer, who came in defensively a few innings earlier, tripled to the fence in right, scoring Bailey for a two-run lead. Johnson collected his first RBI of the day with a sacrifice fly that brought in Hankamer as the Eagles enjoyed an 11-8 advantage.
 
Lidyard worked around a base hit in the bottom of the ninth, never allowing the tying run to come to the plate as he earned his sixth win of 2014.
 
Nelson pitched just 4.1 innings, his shortest start of the season, surrendering six runs on eight hits with two walks.  Lidyard (6-1) got the win in relief, throwing 4.2 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits with two Ks.
 
Bocchino (1-9) threw four innings, giving up eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits with one walk while striking out four Eagles. Messner tossed the last five innings, allowing three runs on four hits.
 
The 14 Eagle hits were the second-most by ERAU this season, while the 13 hits allowed by the pitching staff marked the most hits given up in a single game.
 
Lindheim paced the Eagles at the plate, finishing 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored while Montana and Knight each finished with a pair of RBIs on one a piece. Every position player save one recorded a base hit in the victory.

The complete recap of the delayed game will be posted following its conclusion on Sunday.