From Emory University Athletics
In a rematch of last year's conference co-champions, second-ranked Emory University defeated 16th-ranked Case Western Reserve University 6-2 on Monday to take sole possession of first place in the team standings two days into the 2015 University Athletic Association Championships in Sanford, Florida.
Senior Brett Lake went four-for-five in the game, and is now seven-for-nine in the first two games of the UAA Championships, raising his overall average this season to .500. Sophomore Jackson Weeg allowed just two runs (one earned) on six hits and a walk while striking out four in five-and-two-thirds innings to earn his fourth win in as many appearances this season, while lowering his ERA to 1.74. Sophomore Kyle Monk closed out the game, holding Case scoreless on four hits over the last three-and-a-third innings to earn his third save of the campaign.
The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, when senior Jordan Selbach and junior Jeff Ronpirin opened the frame with back-to-back singles, and moved to second and third on a wild pitch. Selbach would eventually score on a balk, but the Spartans would even the game in the bottom of the frame on an RBI double from Rob Winemiller.
Emory regained the lead for good in the top of the third, when senior Wes Peacock doubled off the top of the wall in leftfield to drive in juniors Dylan Eisner and David Coble, giving Emory a 3-1 advantage. Peacock is batting .444 with four RBIs during the tournament.
Case would score an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to 3-2, but left the bases loaded in the frame after Weeg induced an inning-ending groundout. In the sixth, Case brought the tying run to third base again, but Monk entered the game and struck out Alex Capetillo to end the threat. In the seventh, the Spartans once again put the tying run on third, this time with one out, but Monk was able to get a lineout and a pop out to end the inning unscored upon.
Emory added a run to its lead in the eighth with an RBI single from Selbach that scored Peacock, and Monk worked around trouble again in the bottom of the inning, getting an inning-ending double play with two on base. The Eagles added two more runs in the ninth, scoring on a wild pitch and an RBI single from Lake, and held Case scoreless in the bottom of the frame to complete the win.
The Eagles totaled 11 hits in the contest, including doubles from Peacock and sophomore Philip Maldari.
Emory improved to 8-3 overall this season and to 2-0 at the UAA Championships, while Case dropped to 1-1 on the campaign, with both of their games taking place at the tournament. The Spartans are now in a four-way tie for second-place in the conference standings.