FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Thanks to a combined 13 strikeouts from the Eagles pitching staff on a bullpen day, the Embry-Riddle baseball team (21-15, 9-9 SSC) won game three, 3-1, and took the series over Nova Southeastern (18-15, 9-9 SSC) for the first time as Sunshine State Conference foes in the process.
 
The 13 punchouts – tied for the most on the year and the eighth time this season ERAU recorded at least 10 – came from the combined efforts of Max Meyer, Trevor Nolan and Joe Balsam. Meyer took the ball to start things off, going 4.0IP giving up just one run on five hits, two walks and five strikeouts. Nolan picked up the win after striking out two in 2.1 hitless innings, while Balsam picked up the save. Balsam retired eight Sharks batters, six by way of strikeouts, giving up just one hit and one walk.
 
Tyler Castelli had a day at the plate with a 3-for-4 outing, driving in one and scoring once after a stand up triple in the sixth. The three-bagger was the Eagles' 16^th on the year, far and away the best number in the SSC and places the squad in the top-10 nationally. Camden Traficante also scored one and drove one in during his 1-for-4 day, including an RBI double in the third. Alex Britton batted .500 on the day and drove in Castelli after his triple, while Chase Bruno marked the other Eagle score as he came around on Traficante's double.
 
In what turned out to be a pitchers' duel between two heavy-hitting clubs, only two of the nine innings featured scoring. After a quiet first two innings, ERAU struck first in the top of the third. With one out, Bruno singled up the middle, subsequently stealing second for his sixth thievery of the year. Traficante then doubled down the left field line, and came around to score two batters later when Castelli put a well-placed ball to left, making it 2-0.
 
NSU notched their only run in the bottom of the inning, on a one-out RBI single. Meyer struck one out and got the last out via infield pop-up to move along retaining the lead.
 
Three scoreless innings later, the Eagles dented the scoreboard again. Castelli recorded his team-leading fourth triple of the year to lead things off, and Britton immediately followed up with a hard-hit ball to second base, enough to score the third Eagle run.
 
With one out in the seventh, Balsam came on and immediately struck out the first two Sharks he saw to end the frame. He then went 1-2-3 in the eighth with no balls leaving the infield after another strikeout and two pop ups.
 
The ninth got interesting, however. After NSU struck out twice to go down to their final out, a walk and a single put runners at the corners, but Balsam immediately shut down the threat with his third punch out of the inning, sixth in the game to preserve the win.
 
Up next, the Eagles will step out of conference with a visit to Jacksonville to take on Edward Waters, before returning home to host Palm Beach Atlantic beginning Friday.