DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Embry-Riddle baseball team suffered its first loss at home in over a month as visiting Northwood (Mich.) held off a late Eagle rally at Sliwa Stadium, 5-4. For the Eagles (13-10), it was their first loss in their pinstripe uniforms since debuting them against Flagler in February, having gone 8-0 in them before the Timberwolves (13-5) used three home runs to down ERAU on Friday night. 

The difference in the game was indeed the long ball for Northwood, starting with a two-run homer from shortstop Kyle Ziegler in the first inning off Eagle starter Daniel Agramont. Northwood added a run in the third thanks to a pair of walks and a double, extending its lead to 3-0.

ERAU struggled early on against NU starter Jake Gross, and when the Eagles were able to finally threaten in the third, Gross induced a double play to send the game on to the fourth.

Both pitchers cruised through the fourth, but the home team was finally able to scratch across a run in the fifth when Kyle Guttveg singled through the left side of the infield with two outs, scoring Cole Habig after he had reach on an errant throw from the Timberwolves' catcher. A pop up ended the Eagle rally however, and the visitors struck for two more runs thanks to a pair of solo home runs in the sixth.

Down 5-1, the Eagles made things interesting in the seventh, starting with an infield single from Habig. Cody Forster brought Habig home with a double to left center and John Devine followed with a triple down the right field line to make it 5-3. Zach Smith relieved Gross with one out, getting a quick foul out for out number two, but an infield single from Kirk Sidwell made it a one-run game as Forster touched home. Sidwell stole second but Zach Howard was called out on strikes to end the inning as Northwood held on to its 5-4 lead.

J.C. Carrell, who pitched a scoreless seventh, allowed the first two men to reach in the eighth, but Dominic Jeancola entered and did work, making a great play on a sacrifice bunt attempt to get the lead runner at third before punching out back-to-back batters to end the inning.

ERAU again threatened in its half of the eighth as Luis Olivier singled through the right side to start the frame. Habig collected his third infield hit with one out, putting two men on for Forster who reached on a fielder's choice as Olivier was cut down at third. During the next at-bat, Habig tried to make a dirt ball read on a pitch down low, but was thrown out trying to swipe third for the final out of the inning.

Jeancola worked around a two-out single in the top of the ninth to throw a zero on the scoreboard, but NU closer Lennon Gwizdala went 1-2-3 through the top of the Eagle lineup to secure the win for the Timberwolves.

Agramont (2-3) was tagged with the loss in six innings of work, while Carrell and Jeancola threw the final three frames without a run. ERAU out-hit the visitors, 12-7, led by Habig's three-hit effort, and Forster, Olivier and Sidwell all finishing with a pair of base knocks.

ERAU wraps up its spring break tomorrow with a 1 p.m. game against Auburn Montgomery.