From Emory University Athletics
Emory University opened play at the 2014 University Athletic
Association (UAA) Baseball Championships in Sanford, Florida on
Sunday afternoon with a 7-3 over Washington University (Mo.), the
defending conference champions.
Emory improved to 10-5 overall in the season, and to 1-0 in UAA
games. The Bears dropped to 1-4 for the year and to 0-1 in
conference play with the loss.
Emory junior Connor Dillman pitched eight strong innings
for the Eagles to earn the victory, improving to 3-1 on the
campaign with a 1.76 ERA. Dillman allowed just three runs
(two earned) on five hits over his 117-pitch outing, striking out
five and walking one.
After Washington took the lead with a run in the top of the first
inning without the benefit of a hit, Emory did the same in the
bottom of the inning, when senior Brandon Hannon was
walked, stole both second and third, and scored on an RBI groundout
from junior Brett Lake.
Lake would drive in the first of three runs in the third inning for
Emory as well, singling in seniorJared Kahn to give the Eagles
a lead. Senior Jared Welch and freshman Philip
Maldari would each drive in runs as well during the frame,
giving the Eagles a 4-1 advantage.
The Bears cut the lead to 4-2 with a run in the top of the fourth,
but the Eagles rallied with two outs, plating a run on a Hannon
triple, followed by a Lake single. Lake drove in his fourth
run of the game with sixth inning double that scored Hannon, and
Maldari singled in the seventh to score junior Wes Peacock,
giving Emory a 7-2 and capping off the Eagles' scoring.
Washington would score an unearned run off Dillman in the eighth,
but the righty struck out the final two batters of the inning to
work out of trouble. Senior Robert Gross closed the
game out with a perfect ninth inning, including one strikeout.
Lake finished the game three-for-five with four RBIs, a run scored
and two stolen bases, extending his hitting streak to 16 games,
including all 15 Emory contests this season. He has driven in
26 runs through 15 games, and is now batting .542.
Hannon added a three-for-four performance with four runs scored and
three stolen bases, and was a home run short of the cycle.
Starter Dom Quaranta took the loss for the Bears, falling to 0-2 on
the campaign. Max Golembo led the bears with a pair of hits,
while Kyle Billig, Zack Kessinger and CJ Price each drove in runs
for Washington.