DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Sliwa Stadium has seen its fair share of walk off victories in its 20 seasons as the home of Embry-Riddle baseball, and on Saturday, saw the first of the 2020 season as Robert Post delivered a bases-loaded single in the 10th inning to give the Eagles an 8-7 win over Auburn Montgomery. The Eagles (4-1) scratched across two runs late to force extra-innings before the true freshman Post came through for the Blue and Gold to secure the series win over Auburn Montgomery (0-6).

It was the Eagles' first come-from-behind victory of the year, and they needed 15 hits to do so. The last of which came off the bat of Post after Kyle Guttveg and Mike Lawson each collected one-out singles in the 10th inning. AUM made a pitching change before Luis Olivier stepped to the dish and after a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, the Warhawks walked Olivier to load the bases for the Eagles' designated hitter.

Post was 0-for-4 prior to his 10th inning at-bat, but the left-handed batter took an 0-1 pitch past the drawn-in infield to score Guttveg from third and give the Eagles the 8-7 decision.

The home team forced extras thanks to a two-run eighth. Trailing 7-5 for the majority of the game, the Eagles loaded the bases with one out after John Devine was hit by a pitch and Cody Forster and Guttveg singled. Lawson drew a bases-loaded walk to force across the first Eagle run of the inning and then Olivier hit a ball sharply to the AUM shortstop. The Warhawk infield tried to turn two to keep a one-run lead, but after the out at second, the throw to first took the first baseman off the bag momentarily, allowing Olivier to reach safely and pushing across Forster for the tying score.

The first two innings held nearly all the scoring in the game as ERAU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first frame. Post drew an RBI walk before a ground out brought in the second Eagle run. The final Eagle tally of the inning came from an infield single from Andrew Martinez, scoring Olivier.

The top of the second inning proved to be trouble for the Eagle defense as Payton Rice was chased from the game after three Eagle errors and five runs crossed the plate for the Warhawks.

The Eagles were able to quickly tie the game when Olivier delivered a two-out, two-RBI double in the bottom of the second inning, but AUM went back in front with a run in the third and then doubled its lead with a solo home run in the fourth, going up 7-5.

After the fourth, Dillon Moran, who had relieved Rice in the second, was dominant, finishing with six relief innings, allowing just two runs on five hits with three strikeouts, and most importantly, keeping the Eagles in the contest.

Both teams had several chances in the middle innings, but the pitching staffs did their jobs until the Eagles were able to tie the game in the eighth.

Joe Balsam pitched a scoreless eighth and then started the ninth, but after a leadoff single, the Eagles went to Samuel Brunnig and the junior got out of the ninth-inning jam, striking out two Warhawks and getting a ground ball to end the threat.

Brunnig tossed a scoreless 10th for the home team, setting up the Eagles' walk off in the bottom of the inning.

Brunnig (1-0) got the win in 2.0 innings of relief work as the ERAU staff threw the final six innings without allowing a run.

Four Eagles had multiple hits, including a 4-for-5 day from Forster and three hits apiece from Guttveg and Lawson and two from Martinez. Olivier finished with three RBIs and Post collected two RBIs.

The Eagles will look for the series sweep tomorrow, Sunday, February 9. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m. at Sliwa Stadium.

Notes
• Martinez's streak of 11 consecutive plate appearances reaching base and eight straight at-bats with a hit ended on Saturday
• It was the first walk off for the Eagles since March 2, 2019 - a 6-5 win over Palm Beach Atlantic
• It was Guttveg's 60th career multi-hit game and Olivier's 37th career multi-RBI game