The Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) baseball men are now riding a three-game winning streak after taking a sweep from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Friday to wrap up play at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. The Royals went 3-2 in Florida and return home with a record of 11-8, tying their win total from each of the previous three seasons with 21 games still to go in the 2013 campaign.
EMU 5, MCLA 2
Both teams played small ball to a 2-2 tie after four innings of play. The Royals finally broke through in their final at-bat of the seven-inning contest.
Austin Oliver (Gordonsville, VA/Orange County) led off with a single, and two batters later Ryan McAlister (Bridgewater, VA/Turner Ashby) hit a clutch two-run single to put EMU up 4-2. Kyle Armstrong (Greenville, VA/Riverheads) added an RBI single to provide the final 5-2 tally.
Adam Posey (Poquoson, VA/Poquoson) pitched a 1-2-3 seventh to complete the win. He gave up one earned run on four hits to improve to 3-0.
Armstrong led the offense with a pair of singles and a walk. McAlister had the big two-run hit in the seventh and Justin Rodriguez (Miramar, FL/Pace) reached base twice with a single and a walk.
EMU 9, MCLA 0
The Royals methodically scored in four of their six at-bats in the second game of the twin bill to secure the shutout.
Daniel Stanley (Henrico, VA/Varina) was untouchable from the hill and struck out 10 while allowing only four hits. He didn’t walk a batter. The senior is now 3-2 on the year.
McAlister was 2-3 with a walk and two runs. B.J. Mortimer (Mechanicsville, VA/Lee-Davis) had a pair of sacrifice flies and scored a run. Zach Bowles (Staunton, VA/Robert E. Lee) was 2-4 with two RBIs and a run while Oliver and Phillip Jordan (West Point, VA/Christchurch) each had a pair of RBIs as well. Rodriguez scored twice.
EMU 7, Wittenberg 5
The Royals also had a win over Wittenberg on Thursday, jumping to a 5-0 lead and holding on for the decision. Armstrong got the final out for the save while Casey Harlow (Louisa, VA/Louisa County) pitched the first 5.2 innings for the win. Harlow struck out six and allowed two runs on four hits.
Oliver led the offense with two hits and two RBIs. Jordan and Jonathan Estrada (Miami, FL/Doral Academy) each went 1-3 with an RBI.
After the drive back from Florida, Eastern Mennonite has a couple of days off before they take on new Old Dominion Athletic Conference opponent Shenandoah at home next Wednesday. Game time is set for 4 p.m. in Harrisonburg.