From Emory University Athletics
Emory University, ranked 26th in Division III, claimed wins in a pair of seven-inning games against Huntingdon College on Saturday, winning the early contest 6-4, and claiming a 6-1 victory in the late affair at Chappell Park.
The wins give Emory a three-game sweep of the season series with the Hawks. The Eagles have won six of their last seven games to improve to 19-10 overall, while Huntingdon dropped to 17-15 on the campaign.
Game 1 – Emory 6, Huntingdon 4
Emory scored jumped out to a six-run lead in the first two innings of game one of the doubleheader, and was able to hold on for a 6-4 victory over the Hawks. Senior Connor Dillman picked up the win with six and two-thirds innings of work, allowing four runs on five hits and four walks, while striking out eight to improve to 5-3 on the season.
The first three batters of the game reached for Emory, and junior Ben Vizvary drove in the first run of the game with a ground out. The Eagles would go on to send nine batters to the plate in the inning, with sophomore Philip Maldari, senior Wes Peacock and freshman Nick Chambers all driving in runs. Emory added on another pair in the bottom of the second on a two-RBI double from Vizvary.
Huntingdon would score three in the top of the third, including a pair on a two-run home run from Anthony Spivey. The Hawks would pull closer with a run in the top of the seventh, and put the tying runs on base with two outs, but sophomore Kyle Monk was able to record the final out of the game for his seventh save of the season, matching his career best.
Junior Dylan Eisner finished the game three-for-three at the plate with two runs scored, while Maldari had a pair of hits in three at bats.
Zack Watson took the loss in a complete-game effort for the Hawks, falling to 3-3 on the year.
Game 2 – Emory 6, Huntingdon 1
Emory junior Paul Merolla went the distance in the second game, allowing just one run on five hits to pick up the fourth complete-game win of his career. The right-handed pitcher struck out three and did not walk a batter, improving to 1-1 on the year and lowering his season ERA to 2.76.
The Eagles once again jumped out to an early lead in the game, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. Vizvary led the frame off with a double, later scoring on an RBI groundout from senior Jordan Selbach. It remained a 2-0 score until the bottom of the fifth, when Eisner doubled in a run, and the Eagles cemented their lead with a three-run bottom of the sixth with RBI singles for Chambers and Wilson Morgan.
Huntingdon scored its only run of the game in the top of the seventh.
Chambers was two-for-three in the second game, while Maldari was one-for-two with a pair of runs.
Starter Jared Gonzalez allowed three runs in five innings for the Hawks, taking the loss to drop to 5-2 on the season.