No. 3 Embry-Riddle (12-9, 9-1) def. Thomas (13-10, 8-2) 3/7/14 | Daytona Beach, Fla. - Sliwa Stadium | A: 103 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Thomas 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 1 9 6 Embry-Riddle 3 0 2 2 1 0 2 1 X 11 14 1 Pitching IP H R ER BB SO W: Poncedeleon (3-1) 6.0 9 1 1 4 8 L: Gens (2-2) 5.0 9 8 4 3 5 Related Links • Box Score • Season Stats

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - 15 base hits combined with five defensive errors by Thomas helped the third-ranked Embry-Riddle Eagles to a run rule shortened, 11-1 win over the Night Hawks in the two teams' Sun Conference series opener on Friday night. The Eagles (12-9, 9-1) scored three runs in the first inning and never looked back in cruising to their seventh straight conference victory. The Night Hawks (13-10, 8-2) stranded 12 runners on base, including three innings leaving the bases loaded against Eagle starter Daniel Poncedeleon. ERAU now stands in sole possession of first place in The Sun Conference with a twin bill against TU scheduled for tomorrow at 1 p.m.

Poncedeleon didn't have his best stuff on Friday night, but he still managed to scatter hits and record eight strikeouts against the Night Hawks, leaving TU struggling to find an RBI hit. In the first, the visitors plated their only run when Andrew Crane flew out to right field to score Jake Desuyo from third after Desuyo singles, moved to second when Chris Kitlas walked and then third on a bunt single from Brandon Singer. Poncedeleon was able to minimize the damage by striking out Jeremy Crosby with the bases loaded to send the Eagles to the plate down just 1-0.

Kurtis Gens issued a leadoff walk to Kyle Chastain before giving up the first of two base hits to Jake Cavender to put Eagles on first and second with no outs. Kevin Lindheim grounded a Gens putch up the middle that was midhandled by the TU second baseman, allowing Cavender to reach third and Chastain to score to knot the game at 1-1. Darryl Knight grounded out in the next at-bat, but it was good enough to score Cavender from third and give the Eagles a lead they never gave up. J Rhet Montana accounted for the final Eagle run of the first with a groundout to second, chasing Lindheim home from third for a 3-1 cushion.

Poncedeleon delivered a shutdown inning in the second, but the Eagles were left scoreless by Gens in the home half of the inning.

Again Poncedeleon got out of a tough spot by striking out Crosby with the bases loaded in the third after surrendering a base hit and two walks, and the Eagles capitalized in the last of the inning, scoring two unearned runs to take a 5-1 lead. Montana singled in Knight's courtesy runner Logan Bailey and later scored himself when Liam Goodall collected a base knock to left.

The Blue and Gold piled on two more runs in the fourth, including a Kyle Buchanan run after the Eagle center fielder singled, stole second and moved to third when the throw to second was off target, scoring when the throw in from left went into the Eagle dugout. Knight accounted for the second run of the frame by plating Cavender on an infield single.

Chastain's RBI single in the fifth allowed Hunter Bruehl to touch home for an 8-1 Eagle advantage and Poncedeleon once again stranded the bases full by striking out Singer to end the top of the sixth.

Embry-Riddle pushed its lead to 10-1 in the seventh on a Lindheim single to right, scoring both Cavender and Buchanan, and the Eagles walked off with the run rule victory in the eighth when Cavender reached safely on the fifth TU error of the night with the bases loaded, scoring Lorenzo Boden for the 11-1 final.

All but one Eagle position starter collected a hit, led by Buchanan's 3-for-4 day while Chastain and Cavender had two hits. Lindheim drove in three runs while Knight collected two RBIs.

Poncedeleon (3-1) tossed six innings, allowing just one run on nine hits and four walks while fanning eight and David Lidyard pitched two perfect innings in relief with a pair of strikeouts.