MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. - The eighth inning on Saturday saw a dramatic swing in momentum as the Embry-Riddle baseball team got a go-ahead two-run homer from
Zach Howard before the host Georgia College Bobcats served up a six-run frame of their own en route to an 11-6 win. The Eagles (3-6) dropped their fourth straight, while the Bobcats (6-2) won their third consecutive contest.
The Eagles had to climb out of a 2-0 hole and then a 5-3 hole, but were up to the task both times, culminating with Howard's two-run shot to left center that gave the Eagles a 6-5 lead in the top of the eighth.
After a controversial non-strike three call to begin the bottom of the eighth, the Bobcats got a leadoff single followed by a two-run homer that gave Georgia College a 7-6 lead and the Bobcats followed with four more runs, including another two-run shot that accounted for the final score.
Jackson McFarland started for the Eagles, but was chased in the second after GC scored twice in the first and put two men on in the second inning.
Nick Dearing came in and got the Eagles out of the second inning without any damage done, and the sophomore delivered scoreless third and fourth frames to keep the visitors close, while the Eagles got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth when
Christopher Medina doubled after Howard walked and Howard then scored on a wild pitch.
Kyle Guttveg started a two-out rally in the fifth with a single to left before moving up to second on a wild pitch before
Jake Durant scored him with a single to right, tying the game at 2-2.
The game didn't stay tied for long as the Bobcats scored in the bottom of the fifth to retake a one-run lead, but the Blue and Gold got a big boost from the bat of
Jonathan Camp as he homered to start the sixth, making it 3-3.
A pair of unearned runs in the sixth for the hosts gave them a 5-3 advantage, but the Eagles had to wait until the eighth to pull ahead. Durant started the inning with a double, followed by a Camp single that made it 5-4. After a groundout, Howard lifted an 0-2 pitch out to left center, giving the Eagles their first lead of the game at 6-5 before the Bobcats did their damage in the last of the inning.
Durant finished 3-for-5 on the night, while Camp and Howard each had two RBIs and scored two runs.
The Eagles and Bobcats meet up for the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m.
