FORT MYERS, Fla. - Facing elimination, the 18th-ranked Embry-Riddle Eagles got a big offensive output against Thomas (Ga.) before Zac Grotz turned in one of the most memorable pitching performances in Sun Conference Baseball Tournament history in a 6-1 win over St. Thomas in Sunday's nightcap. The Eagles (35-17) advance to the winner-take-all championship game of the tournament at 3 p.m. on Monday where they will await the winner of the Bobcats (40-14) and Southeastern who play at 11 a.m.

Game 1 • ERAU 15, TU 6
The Eagles scored early and often in eliminating Thomas (23-25-1) from the tournament, exploding for 15 runs on 16 hits while the Night Hawk defense committed six errors in the contest.

Corey Tufts (8-4) got the win for the Blue and Gold, going 6.2 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits while fanning seven Night Hawk batters, two of which came in the opening inning.

In the bottom of the first, the Eagles went to work, scoring three runs on three hits and three TU errors. Tobias Moreno reached on an error before stealing second and moving to third on the errant throw, and the ERAU centerfielder scored on Jake Cavender's single up the middle for the first run of the day.

Another Thomas defensive miscue allowed Cavender to score on an Enderson Velasquez batted ball and Kyle Buchanan brought in the final run of the frame with a single, scoring Velasquez.

Tufts was perfect in the second and the Eagle offense tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the inning, the first on a Cavender double, scoring Ryan Maxon's courtesy runner Kyle Zirbes, and the second when Goodall singled to right to plate Cavender for a 5-0 ERAU lead.

Neither team scored in the third and after Tufts struck out the side in the fourth the Blue and Gold offense plated two more runs for him on a Liam Goodall base hit and Velasquez base hit to make the score 7-0 in favor of Embry-Riddle.

Tufts ran into some trouble in the fifth when Thomas touched home three times to trim the lead to 7-3, but a great defensive play by first baseman Hunter Bruehl kept the damage to a minimum. Bruehl made a fantastic snag of a ball ripped down the first base line that was destined to score two, and Tufts was able to get out of the inning with no further damage.

Thomas put the first two batters on base in the sixth, but Tufts once again limited the damage, this time with no runs scoring and his offense rewarded him with two more tallies in the home-half of the frame.

Goodall collected another RBI with a single through the right side scoring Cavender after he had doubled to start the inning, and Josh Garcia chased in Goodall with an RBI fielder's choice as the lead went to 9-3.

Tufts was chased in the seventh after one run scored, but Clayton Wagner came in with runners on the corners and threw two pitches to get a groundout and end the threat.

Two more Eagle runs came in during the last of the seventh, and the door was effectively slammed shut in the eighth when ERAU plated four more runs, including two on Goodall's 200th collegiate hit, scoring both Zirbes and Bruehl.

Brett Allen came in to close out the ninth, working around three hits and two runs to strike out Damon Jackson to end the game and keep the Eagles alive in the six-team tournament.

Goodall finished 4-for-5 with five RBIs and two runs scored while Cavender went 3-for-5 for two RBIs and four runs scored. Velasquez, Buchanan and Maxon each had two hits for the Eagles and Zirbes scored three times.

Goodall became just the fifth Eagle in program history to reach the 200-hit plateau, and he's done it in just three seasons.

Game 2 • ERAU 6, STU 1
After Southeastern eliminated USCB, 11-1 in the midday game, the Eagles turned to Grotz in the day's finale, and the senior did not dissapoint, throwing a complete game, holding the potent Bobcat offense to just one run on seven hits while striking out 11 batters.

The first two innings belonged to Grotz and STU starter Ben Ancheff, but the Bobcats broke up the stalemate in the last of the third after Branden Canizares got a fortuitous bounce off first base to collect the first extra-base hit of the season against Grotz. Canizares moved to third on a wild pitch and then scored when Michael Centeno grounded out to third, giving STU a 1-0 lead.

The Eagles answered quickly, scoring two runs in the fourth and they would prove to be all Grotz needed. With Garcia at first, Buchanan singled to left center, moving Garcia to third base with one out. Bruehl collected a single through the left side to tie the game, and Zirbes duplicated the RBI with a base hit through the right side, scoring Buchanan for a 2-1 lead.

Grotz worked around a leadoff walk and infield single, striking out Oscar Rodriguez to end the inning with the lead intact.

The top of the fifth proved to be big for the Eagles after Ancheff was replaced by Tyeler Checkley. Moreno singled on a push bunt past the pitching mound, stealing second and then scoring when Velasquez dropped in a base hit to center. Garcia singled to left to load the bases and Checkley was relieved by Alex Viera who walked Buchanan to force in a run and a two-run error by Centeno at second allowed the Eagles to score their fifth and sixth runs of the evening.

Both Grotz and Viera worked scorelss sixths and sevenths and after Viera set the Eagles down in order in the eighth Grotz faced his stiffest challenge of the night.

An infield single and wild pitch put the leadoff batter at second before Grotz hit Adam Duarte with a pitch. Jerry Downs appeared to ground into a 6-4-3 double play, but the first base umpire called Downs safe to put runners on the corners with one out. Grotz squared off against Paul Chacin and won the batte, inducing a 4-6-3 double play that no umpire could deny, keeping the lead at a comfortable five runs.

ERAU went quietly in the top of the ninth and again the Bobcats threatened against Grotz in the last of the frame, but with runners at first and second Grotz got a soft liner and a ground ball to end the game.

Grotz (7-1) went all nine innings, allowing one run on seven hits and two walks with 11 strikeouts. Moreno finished 3-for-5 while Goodall, Velasquez, Garcia, Buchanan, Bruehl, Zirbes and Maxon all collected one hit.