From Emory University Athletics
Emory University jumped out to leads of 6-1 after two innings and 9-4 after five, and eventually held on for a 9-8 victory over Piedmont College in the Eagles' penultimate game of the 2015 campaign on Friday afternoon.
Emory continued to make a push for a berth into the NCAA Championships, improving to 25-12 on the season with one more game left on the schedule. The loss dropped the Lions to 23-16 for the year.
Piedmont took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first against Emory starter Connor Dillman, but the Eagles battled back with a six-run frame in the bottom of the second. Senior Jordan Selbach started the scoring with an RBI single, and a run-scoring groundout from freshman Mitch Kerner gave the Eagles the lead. Senior Wes Peacock and sophomore Wilson Morgan would each add two-RBI hits during the inning to put Emory on top 6-1.
The Lions cut the lead back down to 6-4 with a run in the third and two in the top of the fifth off Dillman, but Emory bounced back with a three-run bottom of the fifth, highlighted by a two-run single for freshman Nick Chambers.
Dillman would leave the game, likely the final appearance of his career at Chappell Park, after six innings with a 9-4 lead. He would go on to earn the win, improving to 6-4 for the year, allowing three earned runs on six hits and striking out seven batters.
Piedmont would continue to chip away at the Eagles' lead with two runs in the seventh off senior reliever Michael Byman, and another two off sophomore closer Kyle Monk in the eight, cutting the advantage to 9-8. The Lions leadoff hitter reached in the ninth, but Monk would get the first out of the inning on a sacrifice, the second on a pop-out, and then strike out the final batter to secure his career-best eighth save of the season.
Morgan finished the game three-for-four with two RBIs and two runs scored, and is now batting .548 (17-for-31) with 12 RBIs over his last 13 games played. Sophomore Philip Maldari, Selbach and Chambers each had two-hit days as well in the contest.
The game also marked 'Senior Day' for the Eagles, who honored their six graduating players – Graham Bloomsmith, Byman, Dillman, Brett Lake, Peacock and Selbach – with a special ceremony prior to the start of the game.