LAKELAND, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle baseball team split a Sunshine State Conference doubleheader against No.11 Florida Southern on Friday evening. In game one, the Eagles completed a comeback to secure a victory in the longest game they've played in their NCAA Division II history, with 13 innings, winning 4-3. However, the second game didn't go in their favor, as they fell 5-3, ultimately losing the series.
RECORDS
EMBRY-RIDDLE: 23-24, 8-19 SSC
No.11 FLORIDA SOUTHERN: 34-14, 18-10 SSC
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
- The Mocs struck early, plating their first run in the opening inning.
- Florida Southern kept the pressure on, adding single runs in the fourth and sixth innings to take a 3–0 lead.
- Momentum shifted in the top of the seventh when Jack Beyl led off with a single through the left side.
- Elias Campbell followed with a groundout to second, moving Beyl to second base.
- A hit-by-pitch to AJ Marinello loaded the bases, putting pressure on the Mocs' pitcher.
- With the bases loaded, Robert Post delivered with a double to right field, bringing in Beyl for the Eagles' first run.
- Trailing 3-1, the Eagles kept this rhythm with Max Kops, hitting a single up the middle, allowing Post and Marinello to score and tie the game at 3–3.
- The next two and a half innings were scoreless, as both teams relied on solid pitching and defense, sending the game into extra innings.
- In the 13th inning, Kops came through again. After hitting a single and advancing on a hit-by-pitch, he crossed on an Aiken Santana single, for the winning run.
- The winning pitcher was Joe Balsam who scattered three hits and allowed no runs through six innings, marking his first win of the season.
Game 2
- The Eagles kept their momentum going into the second game, scoring two early runs in the first inning.
- Marinello was walked and advanced to second on a single by Cooper Schmidt.
- Kops then walked to load the bases in favor of the Eagles.
- Timo Aracena hit a sacrifice fly, allowing Marinello to score and Beyl followed with a single, bringing in Schmidt.
- The Eagles were held to just one run after that scored by Marinello off a Kops single up the middle.
- The Mocs took control, finishing the game with five runs.
UP NEXT
The Eagles are set to host Eckerd at home on May 9 for their final SSC series of the season, with first pitch at 6 p.m. The series continues with a doubleheader on May 10, with games scheduled for 1 p.m. and 4 p.m to celebrate senior day.
