DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The start of a new era for the Embry-Riddle baseball program had a familair feel to it as the Eagles got strong pitching from a pair of seniors and a couple of timely RBIs in a 2-0 win over visiting Palm Beach Atlantic on Friday evening. The game, which was the first for ERAU as a member of the NCAA II, was dominated by the men on the mound and some impressive defense was shown from both squads as the Eagles (1-0) found a way to win their 21st season opener in program history (21-7) while the Sailfish (0-1) couldn't reach the scoreboard at Sliwa Stadium.
Corey Tufts (1-0) started his senior season impressively, tossing seven shutout innings, scattering five hits with four strikeouts before fellow senior
Dylan Demarest earned his first career save, throwing the final two innings to complete the combined shutout.
Tufts was thrown into the fire right away after just two pitches, as PBA reached on an error and a hit by pitch in the first to put two men on with no outs, but Tufts buckled down and got two ground balls, including a 6-4-3 double play to end the frame, keeping the game scoreless.
Liam Goodall collected the first hit of the season with a one-out infield single, but he was stranded at second as Kyle Polaski struck out
Jonathan Camp to end the Eagle first.
Another double play induced by Tufts ended the top of the second, and the Eagles gave their starter a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the frame when
Tobias Moreno beat out an infield single with the bases loaded, scoring
Enderson Velasquez.
From the third to the fifth, neither team could get the hit they needed to score a run, and Tufts and Polaski worked out of jam after jam.
The hosts were able to add to their lead in the last of the sixth thanks to a muffed throw by the PBA first baseman. After a
Dalton Hughes walk opened the inning,
Kyle Zirbes attempted to bunt him into scoring position, but the drop by the first baseman allowed both Eagles to be safe for Moreno. Moreno squared to bunt against reliever David Paul, and off the bat, appeared to have a base hit to load the bases, but Paul made a full extension diving catch for the first out of the inning. Goodall worked a full count before walking and
Joshua Garcia reached on a fielder's choice to short that chased in Hughes for a 2-0 ERAU advantage.
Tufts, staked to a 2-0 lead, got two quick outs in the seventh before a double and hit by pitch put two Sailfish runners on base. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, but Tufts again escaped with a harmless ground ball to first to end the threat.
Demarest relieved Tufts to start the eighth, and after a leadoff single, got a terrific double play from his middle infielders as for a 6-4-3 twin killing before the final out of the inning when Garcia ranged to his left to get to a ball up the middle, flipping it behind his back to Velasquez for the force at second.
Demarest again worked around a leadoff baserunner in the ninth, striking out one PBA batter before a fly out to center marked the second out. The senior from Fort Myers got a ground ball to second on a 3-2 pitch that Garcia easily handled before fliiping to
Matt Jacobs at first for the final out.
Both teams managed seven hits in the contest, with Goodall and Zirbes recording two each for the Eagles.
Zach Howard registered his first collegiate hit out of the seven-hole and Jacobs drew three walks in the contest.
ERAU and PBA meet up again on Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
