WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The 11th-ranked Embry-Riddle Eagles could manage just two runs on eight hits against Northwood on Friday afternoon, falling to the Seahawks, 4-2 in their series opener. ERAU (12-7, 4-2) took a brief 2-1 lead in the fourth, but the Seahawks (17-5, 8-2) quickly answered back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to retake a lead and never give it back.
The two teams will meet up for a twin bill beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
Stetson Nelson (2-2) scattered 10 hits and four runs over eight innings, striking out five, but the Eagles couldn't find an answer for NU's Cody Gray (3-2) who tossed 8.0 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with seven punch outs.
Nelson words around a leadoff single in the first to get out of the inning with a scoreless tie, but the hosts got on the board first with a single run in the second in a squeeze play with runners at second and third with just one out.
Cody Bogart broke up Gray's no-hitter in the third, but was thrown out trying to stretch his single into a double.
Jake Cavender and
Joshua Garcia singled and doubled, respectively, with one out in the fourth and
Enderson Velasquez gave the Eagles a 2-1 lead with a base knock up the middle.
Northwood came back with two of its own runs in the last of the fourth thanks to a double from Brandon Crawford that tied the game and a wild pitch that allowed him to score from third, giving the Seahawks a 3-2 advantage.
Gray went quickly through the Eagles in the fifth and NU tacked on an insurance run when Keivan Berges singled through the left side of the infield to bring in Gabby Mundo, but the Eagles were able to end the inning by tagging out both Berges and Joee Reyna on the play.
Nelson and Gray took over from the sixth on, rarely allowing a hitter to reach base. Nelson got out of a jam in the seventh when the Seahawks loaded the bases with one out, but the senior lefty induced a double play ball that sent the game to the eighth.
Velasquez got on base with a hit to start the ninth, chasing Gray from the contest and bringing in Alan Carey. After
Liam Goodall collected his third hit of the day to put Eagles on first and second with no outs,
Matt Jacobs failed to get a good sacrifice bunt down as Velasquez was thrown out at third, and in the next at-bat
Kyle Buchanan flew out to right and Goodall was doubled-up at second to end the game.
Velasquez finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Goodall went 3-for-4 on the day.
