Junior first baseman Jared Selbach takes a swing for the Eagles. Selbach connected for one hit and one RBI in the Eagles’ 7-4 win Sunday against Southwestern University (Texas).
The baseball team opened a three-game weekend series with Southwestern University (Texas) on Friday at Chappell Park. The first game ended with a 10-2 win, the second 5-4 and the third 7-4, giving the Eagles a flawless weekend.
On Friday, senior Brandon Hannon became the 11th player in program history to record 200 hits over a career – tied for ninth place with former Eagle Mike Garvis. Hannon finished Friday’s game two-for-four with two runs scored and an RBI double. Hannon also became one of two players in Emory history with 200 hits and 100 walks over a career.
Junior Connor Dillman contributed to the solid play with eight innings of strong work on the mound. Dillman held Southwestern to a pair of runs on four hits throughout the entire game. He struck out five and walked just one, raising his record to 6-1 for the year.
As the game continued and the Pirates’ defense weakened, the Eagles were able to extend their lead. The men scored five unearned runs in the third inning and four in the fifth inning.
Freshman Philip Maldari hit a two-RBI double, kick starting the scoring in the third inning. Meanwhile, sophomore Jack Karras knocked in a pair of runs in the fifth.
Junior Michael Byman closed out the game with a scoreless ninth inning, while Maldari added a two-for-three day at the plate, raising his batting average to .383.
Saturday’s game was a bit more heated as the Pirates came in ready to fight back. Lucky for Emory, junior Brett Lake broke a tie in the bottom of the eighth inning with a sacrifice fly, leading the way to another Eagles victory.
Southwestern had an early lead after the third inning, but Emory did not let this last for long, matching the score in the bottom of the fourth on a sacrifice fly from junior Wes Peacock.
The Pirates regained the lead, and the score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the seventh when freshman starting pitcher Jackson Weeg came to the mound.
Emory proceeded to load the bases with no outs in the bottom of the seventh and tied the game on senior Daniel Iturrey’s sacrifice fly.
The Eagles’ progress continued when Maldari singled to centerfield, scoring Hannon. An error on a pickoff attempt then scored Lake from second base, giving Emory a 4-2 lead.
The Pirates fought back in the top of the ninth against Emory’s freshman pitcher, Kyle Monk, but to no avail, as Monk earned the win in relief for Emory, improving 3-1 on the season.
Lake finished the game one-for-two with a pair of walks, extending his hitting streak into the double-digits. Lake’s batting average is .465, with a Division III leading 60 hits.
The last game of the three-campaign stretch demonstrated Emory’s prowess yet again.
Every Emory starter had at least one hit, led by Lake who drove in a pair of runs with a one-for-four day at the plate.
Peacock contributed with a three-for-four performance with a double and an RBI.
The Eagles jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but Southwestern rallied with three runs in the fourth and fifth innings.
At the end of the fifth, however, Emory pulled back ahead 6-3.
Senior Jared Kahn scored on a double play ball by Hannon, while Lake was knocked in on an RBI single.
Senior starting pitcher Ben Hinojosa exited with a lead after five innings, and seniors Robert Gross and Matt McMahon combined forces for three shutout innings. Hinojosa improved 3-1 on the year with a 4.40 ERA.
The Pirates kept pushing back, but senior Mike Bitanga forced a groundout on a bunt and two fly outs to close out the game and secure Emory’s victory.
Emory’s five-game winning streak put the Eagles at 24-9, with seven games left to play in the regular season.
The team was pleased with their performance.
“It’s never easy taking all three games from a team in a clean sweep, so it’s a great sign that we’re able to put everything together consistently and get wins,” senior Jared Welch said.
Hannon agreed, citing the team’s top-to-bottom strength.
“We know we have one of the most talented teams in the nation, and when we play well we beat anyone,” he said.
Emory will finish a four game home stand on Tuesday, when the Eagles host Berry College at 3 p.m. at Chappell Park.
– By Nicola Braginsky
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