DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Embry-Riddle baseball team registered its third walk-off win in 2018 in Tuesday's late game to secure a twin bill split with Purdue Northwest at ERAU's Sliwa Stadium in mid-week action. The Eagles (9-11) were held in check offensively in the opener as the Pride (6-3) won 5-1 before the home team saw a three-run lead disappear in the finale before scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh, walking off on
Zach Howard's RBI single to win, 7-6.
The Eagles will travel to Franklin Springs, Georgia this weekend for a three-game set against Emmanuel (March 16-18).
Game 1 - PNW 5, ERAU 1 (7)
The Pride used three two-out hits in the first, third and seventh to score all five runs en route to a 5-1 victory in the day's opener. ERAU couldn't get anything going offensively, apart from a lone run in the fifth against the PNW freshmen pitching duo of Kyle Freel and Brandon Haczynski.
Troy Naab almost got out of the first inning unscathed, but a two-out single from Jacob Lane plated a pair of Pride runs for an early 2-0 lead.
Embry-Riddle was held scoreless by Freel through the first two innings and the Pride doubled its lead in the third when Hunter Thorn doubled in two runs with a two-out hit down the left field line.
Nick Dearing took over for Naab to start the fourth, working around a one-out single to keep the ERAU deficit at 4-0.
Peter Gomez collected his first hit as an Eagle in the bottom of the fifth when he drove in
Cole Habig from second after a leadoff double, but that's all ERAU would muster against Freel and Haczynski faced just one over the minimum in the sixth and seventh as PNW won, 5-1.
Game 2 - ERAUÂ 7, PNW 6 (7)
Luis Olivier and Howard delivered in the clutch for the Eagles in the late game as the hosts needed a comeback after seeing a three-run lead go away late.
Olivier got the game started on the right foot with a two-run homer to left in the bottom of the first, giving ERAUÂ starter
Garrett Goodall an early lead.
Goodall, making his first collegiate start, was dominant through four, not allowing a hit with the only base runners reaching via errors or walks.
Embry-Riddle tacked on a third run in the last of the fourth as
Jordan Hicks plated
Jake Malone from second with a single to left, but the visitors finally got to Goodall in the fifth, loading the bases on two singles and a walk. A sac fly scored the first PNW run of the game before a single added a second.
Cody Crouse was called on to get out of the jam and he did, throwing one pitch to induce a 6-4-3 double play and end the frame with the Eagles holding a 3-2 lead.
The Blue and Gold grabbed some momentum back in its half of the fifth when Marsh tripled in
Kyle Guttveg after a leadoff single from the ERAU center fielder, but the momentum didn't last long as PNW chased Crouse from the contest when Mike Mikulich singled to right center with the bases loaded and two outs, tying the game at 4-4.
Dominic Jeancola entered for Crouse and Austin Kordik greeted him with a two-RBI single through the right side as the Pride took its first lead of the game.
ERAUÂ went quietly in the sixth and the visitors had a golden opportunity in the seventh to add to their lead, loading the bases against Jeancola, but the Eagle junior buckled down, striking out back-to-back batters before getting a soft ground out for the final out to strand the bases full.
Hicks got the Eagle seventh going with a leadoff single, followed by a one-out walk from Habig. PNW went to its closer Joe Davi to face Marsh with the Eagle second baseman winning a seven-pitch battle to draw a walk, loading the bases. Olivier came to the plate and smoked a base hit up the middle, scoring both Hicks and Habig to tie the game at 6-6. Next, Howard took a 2-1 pitch through the left side of the infield and the speed of Marsh did the rest as he scored from second for the 7-6 win.
Olivier finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs, while Hicks collected two hits and Marsh scored twice.
