DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle baseball team clinched its fourth Sunshine State Conference series on Saturday, thanks in part to another 11-hit performance from the offense, including a grand slam from catcher
Jeremy Kennedy-Davis with two outs in the seventh inning. The Eagles (26-17, 12-11 SSC) took Saturday's contest at Sliwa Stadium, 10-4, over Florida Southern (14-27, 8-15 SSC).
The 10 runs scored marks the 14th time the Eagles eclipsed at least 10 runs this season, more than half of their wins. It was the Blue & Gold's seventh win in the last 10 outings during an important stretch of the season.
Along with Kennedy-Davis' slam to left, his second home run of the series, ERAU was bolstered at the plate by a three-hit, two-RBI, one-run day from
Chase Bruno.
Matthew Coker recorded two hits, both infield base knocks, along with a sac fly RBI, while outfielders
AJ Marinello and
Dillon Lifrieri both brought runs in, and
Alex Britton scored twice on a day in which he drew three free passes.
On the mound, ERAU threw well in a defacto bullpen day.
Tyler Donay drew the start, his sixth of the year, going a solid 4.1 innings, yielding just three runs on six hits, striking out two and walking one.
Max Meyer picked up the win in 3.1 hitless innings of relief work. He struck out four – including the first two that he faced in a one-out, two runners on jam.
Keagan Perez finished the final 1.1 innings, yielding only an unearned run on one hit to preserve the win.
Just like Friday's duel, the Eagles jumped out to an early lead in the first inning. With two on, Marinello punched a single through the left side, scoring Britton from second to go up 1-0. In the next inning, Bruno sent a deep single to center, enough to score both Britton and
Timo Aracena, advancing to second on the throw home. Not a pitch was thrown, however, until Bruno scored as he advanced to third and across the plate on two consecutive balks, making it 4-0 very early.
FSC grabbed a run back on a double to left in the third, then added two more in the fourth. The Mocs worked back-to-back home runs to left field in the fourth, thanks in no small part to the strong winds on the day trending in that direction, cutting the lead to 4-3.
Lifrieri broke a three-inning scoreless drought from both teams in the seventh, however, singling home
Camden Traficante to give the Eagles some breathing room, up 5-3. But after Marinello, Lifrieiri – for whom
Dylan Brazil pinch ran – and Aracena all reached and loaded the bases, Kennedy-Davis sent his second homer of the series over the left field fence to turn the tide. ERAU then held a 9-3 advantage after seven full.
In the eighth, Coker sent a deep fly to center at the warning track, enough to score Traficante, securing the Eagles' 14
th 10-run contest of the year.
With the win, Embry-Riddle returns to the diamond tomorrow looking for its first conference sweep of the year. First pitch is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.
