PRESCOTT, ARIZ. – The Embry-Riddle baseball team picked up an all-important series victory over Marymount California, jumping into the final spot for the Cal Pac Tournament heading into the final weekend. The Eagles now have the control to get into the postseason during its first year as a program thanks to its victory to open Saturday afternoon.
Game 1: Embry-Riddle 15, Marymount California 2 (7 innings)
It was a similar story to Friday’s game, as the Eagles surrendered the game’s opening runs before scoring a boatload of unanswered runs for a seven-inning victory. After trailing 2-0 through three innings, the Eagles scored 15 unanswered runs in the final four frames to jump into the final Cal Pac Tournament spot.
The Eagles scored in its final three sets of at-bats, getting six runs in both the fourth and fifth inning and adding three more in the sixth. Embry-Riddle had 16 hits in the contest, with 12 of those coming in those final three offensive frames.
Embry-Riddle did not use the long ball like the last two games, but had crafty baserunning and timely hitting. In the fourth, Josh Beattie and Blake Moore each had RBI doubles, plus Sean Boskovich and Carson Ramocinski added RBI singles.
Beattie got the scoring started again in the fifth, this time with a sacrifice fly before his team really opened up its lead. Boskovich and Ramocinski had RBI singles again, and Roberto Garza-Nunez had a 2 RBI single as well.
Boskovich had the big day offensively, going 3-for-4 and driving in a trio of runs. Calvin Solie also had a three-hit day, and everyone to make a plate appearance for ERAU had at least a hit.
Aiden Vestbie turned in another excellent start for his fourth victory of the season. He allowed just two runs while striking out eight, and kept the Mariners off the board in six of the seven innings.
Game 2: Marymount California 15, Embry-Riddle 12
The Eagles had the offense going again, and nearly completed its comeback in the ninth inning looking for the series sweep. With the 12-run effort in the final game of the day, ERAU has scored 10+ runs in the last five games, and have done that in seven in the last eight contests.
Embry-Riddle recorded a pair of four-run innings, with those coming in the third and the seventh. Owen Cain recorded RBI in both of those big offensive frames, driving in three of his five runs in that time.
Cain had four hits in the game, and was the only Eagle to record more than two knocks. Solie and Garza-Nunez did also record two-hit games, and ERAU finished the afternoon with 11.
Strickler had a pair of RBI on his home run in the third to start the Eagles comeback that eventually saw them take the lead in that third inning. Garza-Nunez, Jepsen and Josh Beattie all had an RBI in the contest.
The Eagles will play its final four home games next week, starting with its last non-conference game of the regular season. First pitch against Arizona Christian on Tuesday, April 25 is scheduled for 3 p.m.
