Daniel Poncedeleon earned his eighth win of the year, allowing just one unearned run in a 7-1 victory.
FORT MYERS, Fla. - The 15th-ranked Embry-Riddle Eagles got a gem pitching performance from
Daniel Poncedeleon as they cruised to a 7-1 win over Thomas in The Sun Conference Tournament on Saturday, eliminating the Night Hawks with the victory. Embry-Riddle (36-17) advanced to the winner's bracket finale against 17th-ranked Southeastern at 12 p.m. on Sunday with Poncedeleon's eight-inning, one-run performance on the mound.
A two-run home run from
Darryl Knight in the first inning was all the right-hander from La Mirada, Calif. would need as he did not allow a run until the eighth. Knight's second homer of the tournament scored
Liam Goodall after the outfielder doubled to begin the bottom of the first and the Eagles would go up 3-0 later in the frame when
Jake Cavender brought in
Kevin Lindheim from third.
Poncedeleon and Kurtis Gens traded scoreless second innings, but a
Kyle Chastain triple led to another run as
Jordan Johnson scampered home for a 4-0 ERAU Cushion.
Knight gunned down Tyler Palmer as he tried to swipe second in the fourth, the first time Palmer had been caught stealing all season and Poncedeleon followed with a pair of strikeouts to end the inning.
Goodall collected an RBI on a sac fly to center in the last of the fourth, plating
Colt Hankamer as Embry-Riddle enjoyed a 5-0 advantage.
Poncedeleon got a big ground out to end the fifth for Thomas as the Night Hawks had the bases loaded, leaving the Eagles with a comfortable cushion.
Another Eagle run in the fifth made it 6-0, and Poncedeleon continued to keep the Night Hawks off balance, allowing just one run in the eighth, an unearned tally with no outs, but the senior worked around three errors in the frame to retire the side.
An insurance run in the eighth came off the bat of
Kyle Buchanan as he singled in
J Rhet Montana and
David Lidyard faced the minimum in the ninth to secure the 7-1 win.
Poncedeleon (8-2) tossed eight innings, scattering eight hits and one unearned run while fanning nine TU batters.
Lindheim finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and both Knight and Chastain recorded two RBIs in the contest.
