DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - For the first time in their Opening Round history, Embry-Riddle lost a game before the championship contest, dropping a 4-1 decision to top-seeded Southern Poly, 4-1. The Eagles (38-20) managed eight hits, but just one run against SPSU's Zach Smith who tossed a complete game against ERAU on 134 pitches. Southern Poly (44-16) gave Randy Stegall his first 20-loss season at Embry-Riddle and the first since 1996. The Hornets advance to the championship game on Wednesday at 4 p.m. while the Eagles will sqaure off against the winner of Tennessee Wesleyan and LSU Alexandria at 12 p.m. on Wednesday in a elimination game.

Corey Tufts and Smith matched zeroes through the first three frames, but SPSU managed a run in the fourth on a Khirus Ware's ground ball that drove in Tremayne Harris for the first of two times, giving SPSU a 1-0 lead.

Tufts kept the Hornets scoreless in the fifth, but Smith did the same through six innings. The Hornets got an RBI single from Ware in the last of the sixth to go up 2-0, but Liam Goodall brought in the first ERAU run of the day with a double to left center in the seventh, cutting the lead to 2-1 as Kyle Buchanan scored from third.

Tufts was removed in the seventh for Clayton Wagner, but the lefty couldn't get an out as SPSU scored twice to take a commanding 4-1 lead with Smith on the mound.

Tufts (8-4) took the loss, while Smith (7-3) was credited with the complete game victory.