SAINT LEO, Fla. - The Embry-Riddle baseball team led for the majority of its series opener at Saint Leo on Friday night, but the No. 13 Lions scored the final three runs of the game to sneak past the Eagles, 6-4. The Eagles (19-29, 8-20 SSC) will conclude their 2018 season tomorrow with a 1 p.m. doubleheader against the Lions (37-10, 20-8 SSC).
Embry-Riddle struck for a run in each of the first three frames, starting in the first when
Luis Olivier singled home
Kyle Guttveg from second after Guttveg walked and then stole second. ERAU doubled its lead in the second when
Cody Bogart doubled with
Zach Howard at second, allowing Howard to score and make it 2-0.
The Lions gifted the Eagles with a run in the third when
Kyle Marsh reached on a throwing error, and on the play, Guttveg raced home from second for a 3-0 Eagle cushion.
Marsh, who worked scoreless innings in the first two frames, allowed a run in the third, but left another Lion in scoring position to keep the Eagles in front.
Neither team scored in the fourth, but the hosts were able to tie things up in the fifth when they scored a pair of unearned runs to knot the game at 3-3.
The tie didn't last for long as Olivier launched his 13th home run of the season to left, clearing the scoreboard while giving the Blue and Gold a 4-3 lead.
Once again the Lions were able to tie the game, this time in the last of the sixth as they chased Marsh from the contest after his best outing of the season, but
Joey Gerber got out of the frame by stranding the bases full, sending the game to the 7th, tied at 4-4.
ERAUÂ threatened in the eighth, but ultimately could not retake the lead and after loading the bases with two outs, the Lions finally took their first lead of the game with a two-run single from Peyton Isaacson.
Justin Franklin doubled with two outs in the top of the ninth, but SLU's Jordan Pendeleton completed his complete game by striking out Bogart to seal the win for the Lions.
Olivier and Howard each went 2-for-4 with a run, while Guttveg finished 1-for-2 with two runs scored.