ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Embry-Riddle baseball team won its first weekend series of the 2017 season against an Sunshine State Conference opponent on Saturday, thanks to a 3-2 win in the day's opener. The Eagles (12-24) had claimed the series opener on Friday night before holding off a ninth-inning Triton (14-21) rally in Saturday's first game. The Tritons salvaged one game in the series with a 4-1 win in the finale, scoring four runs late.
The weekend series also featured the first time in program history ERAU has started the same pitcher in three consecutive games.
Aidan Brady tossed the first two innings in all three contests, allowing just two hits and no runs.
The Eagles continue their road swing with a Tuesday contest at NAIA foe Webber International in Babson Park. First pitch between the Eagles and Warriors is set for 6 p.m.
Game 1 - ERAU 3, EC 2
The first four frames of the opener was a true pitcher's duel as Brady,
Tim Retamoza and
Austin Lee matched zeroes for zeroes against EC starter Alex Moore. Retamoza got the first of five double plays by the ERAU defense to end the third, and ERAU looked it would take the lead in the fourth when
Zach Howard doubled with
Luis Olivier at first, but Olivier was thrown out at home for the final out of the inning to end the threat.
The Eagles got on the board in the fifth when
A.J. Mazzurco brought in
Justin Franklin with a single to left center. Franklin began the inning with a base hit to right before swiping second to put himself in scoring position.
Lee posted his second straight scoreless frame in the home fifth and ERAU scored for the second straight inning when Howard again doubled, this time scoring
Christopher Medina from second for a 2-0 Eagle lead.
Lee got a double play to end the sixth, and for the third consecutive inning the Eagles plated a run, this time on a solo home run from Franklin in the seventh.
Leading 3-0, Lee was able to roll up double plays in both the seventh and eighth frames to end the innings, but ERAU could not add to its lead, taking a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
Two hits and an error in the ninth allowed two Triton runs to score, but a fourth double play in as many innings ended the game as Lee got a strike out of Sean Salisbury before
Ryan Maxon threw out Terence Hebda trying to steal second for the final out of the contest.
Franklin finished 4-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, while Howard went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Lee (3-5) received the win in six innings of work, striking out six while holding the Tritons to five hits.
Game 2 - EC 4, ERAU 1
The Eagles took an early 1-0 lead in the final game of the series, but couldn't manage any more runs and the Tritons scored four runs late to emerge with the 4-1 win in Saturday's last game.
Cole Habig collected a one-out double in the first, moving to third on a ground ball off Medina's bat and later scored on Olivier's RBI groundout. The Eagles would go on to load the bases, but
Cody Bogart struck out swinging to end the frame.
Brady delivered a scoreless first two frames for the third time in as many games before
Jackson McFarland tossed a scoreless third for the Blue and Gold.
Kenny Burkhead took over in the fourth and didn't face any trouble until the sixth when Eckerd got a walk, a steal, an Eagle error and a groundout to tie things at 1-1. One batter later the Tritons took their first lead of the weekend on a single to right before Burkhead could get out of the frame.
EC added two more runs in the seventh to go up 4-1, and ERAU couldn't get anything going in its final two at-bats as the last 17 Eagle batters were retired by Dillon McCollough.
Embry-Riddle managed just four hits to Eckerd's six in the finale.
