DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - In a wild game at Sliwa Stadium on Monday, the Embry-Riddle baseball team couldn't complete a late-inning comeback, falling 10-9 to Davenport. The Eagles (6-6) scored the first four runs and the last five runs, but the Panthers (3-2) plated 10 runs between ERAU's two rallies before holding the Eagles scoreless over the final three frames en route to the win.
Sam Brunnig got out of a jam in the first inning with runners on the corners and one out, striking out a pair of Panther batters to send ERAU to the plate. Embry-Riddle went three-up, three-down against DU starter Kristian Johnson-Battilana, but
Zach Howard changed things in the second, sending a 2-2 pitch out to left for his eighth home run of the season, giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead. Two batters later,
Justin Franklin did the same, this time with a solo shot to right to make it 2-0 Eagles.
After a scoreless top of the third, the Eagles doubled their lead thanks to RBIs from
Cole Habig and
Kyle Marsh for a 4-0 cushion, but the Panthers quickly answered in the fourth, chasing Brunnig from the game with five hits and taking advantage of an Eagle error, eventually taking the lead, 5-4.
DU added to its lead with a single run in the fifth off of ERAU reliever
Troy Naab, and then batted around in the sixth inning, scoring four more runs on four hits and two walks before
Aidan Brady as finally able to get out of the inning as the third Eagle pitcher in the frame.
Trailing 10-4, the Eagle bats finally roared back in the last of the sixth, starting with a
Luis Olivier single up the middle. After a walk and hit by pitch loaded the bases,
Jackson McFarland singled in a run before
Kyle Guttveg brought in another with a single ro right center. Habig notched a sac fly to make it 10-7 before Marsh came through with a two-run double to trim the lead to just one run at 10-9. James Rogers came in for the Panthers and was able to fan Olivier for the final out of the inning with runners at first and second.
Brady worked a scoreless seventh thanks to a 6-3 double play, but ERAUÂ stranded the potential tying run at second when
Mitchel Lindheim struck out swinging against Rogers in the bottom of the inning.
Another scoreless eighth for Brady preceded a leadoff double from Guttveg in the home-half of the eighth. Habig tried to sacrifice Guttveg to third, but Rogers made a nice play off the mound to field the bunt and fire to third to get Guttveg. Habig was then picked off by Rogers for the second out. Marsh kept the inning alive with a single to center, but Rogers struck out Howard to end the threat.
Dominic Jeancola worked a perfect ninth, but Rogers did the same, striking out
Alex Dodd to end his fourth straight frame and the game with a K.
Marsh finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs, while Guttveg was the only other Eagle with multiple hits. Rogers got the 3.1 inning save, allowing just two hits with six strikeouts.
ERAU takes on Flagler on Tuesday at Sliwa Stadium at 6 p.m.