DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A soggy Saturday resulted in two Embry-Riddle baseball wins at Sliwa Stadium as the Eagles completed the series sweep of Florida Memorial with victories of 4-3 and 4-0 after Friday night's 5-3 result. The Eagles (5-1) improved to 69-9 all-time against the Lions, getting strong starts on the mound from Kenny Burkhead and Nick Dearing en route to the twin bill sweep.

Game 1 - ERAU 4, FMU 3 (7 inn.)
A nearly two-hour rain delay made the day's opener over four hours long, and the Eagles needed to survive a last-inning rally from FMU, but the hosts were able to hold off the visitors in the end to claim the series win.

Burkhead (2-0) went five shutout innings before Troy Naab and Dylan Demarest finished things off on the mound as Demarest earned his second save in as many opportunities in 2016.

Burkhead got out of a jam in the top of the first, in part thanks to poor baserunning from FMU. After a single and double put the first two batters at second and third without any outs, Burkhead struck out Alfredo Barrosu before a safety squeeze attempt went awry. The runner at third never stopped coming towards home, and when the batter pulled back his bunt attempt, ERAU catcher Cody Bogart ran at the runner, tagging him out in-between home and third for the second out of the inning. Burkhead finished the frame by inducing a fly ball to left, keeping the game scoreless.

The Eagles loaded the bases in the bottom half of the first inning on just one hit and a wild pitch from FMU starter Devin Hadley chased in Liam Goodall from third for an early, 1-0 lead.

Burkhead faced the minimum in both the second and third, and before the start of the fourth, an hour and 45 minute rain delay put a damper on things. Burkhead didn't seemed fazed from the long layoff, retaking the mound after the delay and sending the game to the bottom of the fourth without FMU reaching the scoreboard.

The hosts tacked on a run in the fourth when Kyle Zirbes scored on an error by the Lion second baseman with the bases loaded, but that's all the Eagles could get, taking a 2-0 lead into the fifth.

Burkhead faced another tough situation in the visitor fifth with runners at first and second with one away. Bogart got the second out of the inning by gunning down the lead runner trying to advance on a dirt ball, and after an Eagle error put runners at second and third, Burkhead got a lazy foul pop up that Bogart caught to end the threat.

Naab took over for Burkhead to start the sixth and went three-up, three-down and the Eagles responded by posting two insurance runs in the last of the frame, runs that would prove to be invaluable later.

Joey Swinarksi doubled to start the inning, moving to third on a wild pitch a few batters later. A Tobias Moreno single chased in Swinarski for a 3-0 ERAU lead and the Eagle center fielder stole second and then third on consecutive pitches before Goodall brought him in with an RBI ground out.

Leading 4-0, Naab walked the FMU leadoff batter in the seventh before an infield single put runners at first and second. A second base hit from the Lions scored one run before Naab got an infield fly for the first out of the inning. A passed ball and fielding error pushed across two more runs as the lead shrunk to a single run at 4-3. Demarest was called upon to put the game away with the tying run at first, getting two straight weak ground balls back to the pitcher's mound to seal the victory.

Burkhead surrendered just two hits and three walks with six strikeouts on 71 pitches for his second win of the year, while Moreno and Goodall each finished the game with a pair of hits and an RBI apiece.

Game 2 - ERAU 4, FMU 0 (7 inn.)
Freshman right-hander Nick Dearing was masterful in the finale, scattering six hits over six innings to earn his first collegiate win. The Eagle offense managed just six hits in the last game of the weekend, but scored four runs, more than enough for Dearing to work with.

Once again, the Eagles struck first with a run in the opening frame, taking a 1-0 lead when Jonathan Camp registered a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Goodall from third after the senior singled and moved to third on back-to-back errors by FMU.

A single from Lance Mansfield started the Lion second, and after an Eagle error allowed Cesar Temes to reach first on a sac bunt attempt, it appeared the visitors would be in good shape to score, but Mansfield tried to go first-to-third on the bunt, and was thrown out by Joshua Garcia, who was backing up the play at first, firing across the diamond to Dearing who was covering third for the tag play. Dearing worked around a walk to the next batter, getting a ground out and fly out to send the game to the bottom of the second.

ERAU doubled its lead in the third when Enderson Velasquez scored on Zach Howard's foul out to the first baseman. The Eagles had the bases loaded with one out and Howard lifted a pitch high towards the right side of the field. As the first baseman made the catch, he pushed open the gate next to the first base dugout, leaving the field of play and allowing each baserunner to advance a base, resulting in Velasquez scoring for a 2-0 Eagle advantage.

Dearing set the Lions down in order in the fourth and fifth, and Embry-Riddle pushed across its final runs in the home-half of the fifth on a Logan Malphurs two-RBI single with the bases loaded, scoring Matt Jacobs and Jonathan Camp for a 4-0 ERAU lead.

Dominic Jeancola relieved Dearing to start the second and the sophomore from DeBary went 1-2-3 to complete the sweep.

Malphurs finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs while Velasquez and Moreno each recorded extra-base hits in the win.

ERAU plays host to NAIA Auburn Montgomery on Feb. 11 for a 6 p.m. game against the Warhawks.