DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle baseball team opened its three-game Sun Conference series against No. 12 St. Thomas with a 7-3 upset of the Bobcats, Friday at Sliwa Stadium. Down 3-1 heading the bottom of the eighth, the Eagles scored six runs in that frame to improve to 15-10 overall and 5-4 in conference play.

Liam Goodall extended his multi-hit streak to four games as he went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI, while Dalton Hughes  turned in a 2-for-3 performance, including a three-run double that turned out to be the game-winning hit.
 
The Bobcats took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when a throwing error by Enderson Velasquez allowed Oscar Rodriguez to score from second.
 
St. Thomas maintained the one-run lead until the home half of the fourth when Goodall singled to right, stole second, and came around to score when Joshua Garcia ripped a single up the middle past outstretched glove of St. Thomas starter Marcos Barrios to tie the score.
 
The momentum quickly shifted back to the St. Thomas dugout in the top of the fifth when Michael Centeno hit a two-run shot over the fence in left field to put the Bobcats back on top 3-1.
 
The Bobcats threatened again in the top of the eighth with runners on first and second and one out. ERAU first baseman Hunter Bruehl came up with a stellar defensive play as he made a diving catch to rob Paul Chacin of a base hit, and tagged the base to complete the double play and get the Eagles back in their dugout.
 
Bruehl's defense seemed to spark the offense in the bottom of the inning and after Tobias Moreno reached on a throwing error that allowed him to take second, Jake Cavendar was hit by a pitch, putting two on with nobody out for Goodall. Goodall took a 1-1 pitch to deep left center field to drive in Moreno and Cavendar and pull the Eagles level at 3-3. After Velasquez reached via a five-pitch walk, Garcia greeted the third pitcher of the inning, Alex Viera, with a single to right that scored Goodall. Three batters later, Hughes stepped up to the plate with bases loaded and two out, and drove the first pitch he saw from Viera into gap in left centerfield for a bases clearing double that put the Eagles in front for good.
 
Stetson Nelson got the start for the Eagles and tossed 7.1 innings, yielding five hits and two runs, including surrendering the only home run of his ERAU career. Zac Grotz entered the game in relief in the eighth inning and held the Bobcats to two hits in 1.2 innings to grab the win and improve his season record to 4-1.
 
Chris Rodriguez took the loss for the Bobcats who are now 17-7 overall and 8-4 in the conference. He faced two batters and gave up a hit, a walk and two runs, while Barrios struck out two and gave up one unearned run in six innings of work.
 
The Eagles and the Bobcats will close out the series with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.