The only thing that could stop the EMU baseball team Sunday afternoon was darkness. The Royals offense continued its roll, plating 31 runs in 11 offensive innings of a doubleheader sweep of visiting Mount Saint Vincent. Eastern Mennonite scored a total of 76 runs in 31 at-bats in five wins in Harrisonburg this weekend.
EMU 23, Mount Saint Vincent 10
The Royals scored three runs in their first at-bat, but broke open a tie game in the bottom of the second. With two outs and just a runner on third, EMU took off. Ryan Hedrick (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) brought in three runs with a bases loaded single, and Kyle Mathews (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) roped a two-run triple. Seven runs scored as the men jumped in front, 10-3.
The Royals scored twice in the third, and four more times in the fifth, highlighted by a two-run double from Jonathan Estrada (Miami, Fla./Doral).
The men led 16-8 in the bottom of the sixth when to landed another seven-run frame. Griffin Stanley (Roanoke, Va./Cave Springs) had his own two-run triple, and Dean Lowery (Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield) hit a pinch-hit two-run single.
Although the game featured a combined 13 errors, Eastern Mennonite had 21 hits to go with seven walks. Mathews finished 3-3 with four RBIs while Estrada was 2-3 with three RBIs, two walks and two runs. Adam Posey (Poquoson, Va./Poquoson) had three hits, scoring twice and knocking in two more. Hedrick finished with four RBIs and two runs, while Brandon Carroll (Fredericksburg, Va./Stafford) scored three times.
Austin Marzullo (Shippensburg, Pa./Shippensburg) pitched five innings, giving up two earned runs on seven hits to get his first win of the season.
EMU 8, Mount Saint Vincent 4 – 6 innings
While the nightcap never got flowing the way the first game did, the Royals took full advantage of CMSV’s three errors, as half of their runs were unearned.
The Dolphins led 1-0 when EMU took over in the bottom of the second. Four runs scored, highlighted by Ryan McAlister‘s (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) two-run single. The visitors plated another single run in the third, but the Royals jumped the lead to 7-2 with three unearned runs in the bottom of the frame.
The final two innings were filled with tension, but little scoring, as EMU turned a double play to end the game after the top of the sixth on account of darkness.
Posey had four of the men’s 10 hits, going a perfect 4-4. McAlister had two RBIs while Estrada reached base twice on walks. Joe Hall (Rustburg, Va./Rustburg) singled in his only official at-bat, adding a walk, run and RBI to his totals.
Ryan Tierney (Front Royal, Va./Warren County) improved to 1-0 by scattering six hits over 5.0 innings. Brett Whitlow (Mechanicsville, Va./Hanover) threw a scoreless sixth.
After sweeping all five games of their home-opening weekend, the Royals (6-1) are set to host Penn State-Harrisburg on Thursday. EMU then welcome Emory & Henry on Saturday for their ODAC opener.