DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The 11th-ranked Embry-Riddle Eagles led for the majority of the game, but needed a late inning rally to push past the Ave Maria Gyrenes, 5-4 on Friday night. The Eagles (10-5, 3-1) trailed 4-3 entering the bottom of the eighth, but Kyle Buchanan came through with a clutch, two-out base hit to jump start an Eagle offense that hadn't scored since the first. The Gyrenes (5-8, 1-6) had taken a lead in the seventh after trailing 3-1 for the previous six innings, but couldn't make a second comeback, dropping their seventh straight game.

The first inning proved to be eventful for both teams as Ave Maria took an early 1-0 lead before the Eagles answered with a three-spot in the bottom of the inning. The Gyrenes put together a two-out rally and reached the scoreboard first when Aaron Pigna singled up the middle to score Billy Pryor from second.
 
Tobias Moreno started the bottom of the inning by reaching on an error by AMU pitcher Ray Messner before Jake Cavender and Joshua Garcia both walked to load the bases. Enderson Velasquez ripped a double to the left centerfield gap to score a pair of ERAU runs and Liam Goodall accounted for the final run of the frame with a sacrifice fly, plating Garcia.
 
From the second through the sixth the two starting pitchers were dominant, holding the offenses to just five combined hits and no runs. Nelson got two double plays during that five-inning span.
 
The home team threatened in the third when Garcia and, Goodall both singled, but Messner left them on the bases by getting Matt Jacobs to fly out harmlessly to center.
 
Ave Maria got to Nelson in the seventh, starting with back-to-back singled from Ryan Keegan and Andy Hernandez before Bobby Oliver was hit by a Nelson pitch to load the bases with one out. A Tucker Starkey single scored one run before an Eagle error allowed the tying and go-ahead runs to cross home as AMU took a 4-3 lead.
 
The visitors put two runners on with one out in the eighth with one out, but reliever Zac Grotz was able to get two ground outs to keep the deficit at just one run.
 
Sliwa magic struck again in the bottom of the eighth as the Eagles turned a one-run deficit into a one-run lead thanks to a two-out base hit from Buchanan. The Eagles got hits from Velasquez and Goodall to start the inning, but a failed sac bunt attempt erased Velasquez at third. Andrew Steele, the Gyrene reliever who had entered the game to begin the inning, got pinch hitter Hunter Bruehl to fly out for the second out and quickly got a two-strike count on Buchanan before the senior outfielder roped a ball into left. Goodall scored from third to tie the game and as the AMU left fielder attempted to make a play on the ball he bobbled it, allowing Jacobs to score all the way from first for a 5-4 lead.
 
Grotz had his work cut out for him in the top of the ninth. A ground out on the first pitch of the inning came before a hit batter and a walk to put two on with just one away. Grotz locked into a battle with Nick Sacchetta, throwing nine pitches to the Gyrene batter before striking the right-hander out looking for the second out of the frame. Grotz had a little easier time with Pigna for the final out, fanning the Gyrene on his sixth pitch of the at-bat to secure the 5-4 Eagle win.
 
Grotz (3-0) got the win, pitching the final 1.2 innings for the Eagles, not allowing a hit with two strikeouts. Nelson worked 7.1 frames, fanning five and allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits and two walks.
 
Velasquez finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs while Goodall went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. The Gyrenes out-hit the Eagles (8-7), but left 10 runners on base.
 
The two teams will meet in a doubleheader beginning tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 28 at 1 p.m.