The baseball team played three games against Piedmont College over the weekend, taking two of three against the Lions.
The Eagles began with a 4-3 victory over Piedmont at the team's home opener at Chappell Park on the sunny Saturday afternoon. It was the team's third straight win.
The contest between pitchers heated up through the game. Emory junior Connor Dillman and the Lions' junior Chris Goershel both pitched well, but neither pitcher factored into the final decision.
In the top of the fourth inning, Piedmont broke the scoreless tie on a sacrifice fly. The Eagles evened the score back out in the bottom of the fifth, however, on an infield single from senior Brandon Hannon, scoring junior Jordan Selbach from third.
In the top of the sixth, the Lions took the lead, but Emory would not let it last, increasing the score with junior Brett Lake's two-out RBI single scoring sophomore David Coble. Lake has driven in nine runs through five games this season and has batted .591 – he finished the day two-for-five.
Senior Matt McMahon provided an inning and third of scoreless relief until senior Mike Bitanga entered the game. The ninth inning gave Bitanga the win.
Piedmont was up 3-2 in the top of the ninth, until Emory stepped up to take back the win. Sophomore Dylan Eisner opened the bottom of the inning by drawing a four-pitch walk and moving to second and third on a couple of pitches in the dirt.
Lake hit a ball to shortstop, scoring Eisner from third and beating the throw to first for an infield single.
Senior Daniel Iturrey continued with a single to centerfield, but Piedmont third baseman made a diving stop on a ground ball forcing Lake out at third. Still, Iturrey raised his season batting average to .412 for the season and finished Saturday three-for-four.
Junior Wes Peacock swung at the first pitch at bat and drove the ball deep into the right centerfield gap over the right fielder's head, allowing Iturrey to score the game-winning run.
Bitanga pitched the final two innings of the game without allowing a single hit, while the Lions' pitcher Jacob Brewster pitched the ninth, taking the loss.
On Sunday, the Eagles were back against Piedmont in a doubleheader and came out with a split. The Eagles won the first game 9-3 and fell 14-9 in the second.
Emory came in without hesitation - the team was ahead 4-0 in the top of the first inning. Coble started with a leadoff triple, followed by an RBI single for Hannon.
Following a walk by Lake, Iturrey hit a ball over the right field wall resulting in a three-run home run.
Piedmont responded, but the Eagles got both runs back early in the top of the third when Welch tripled with two outs, scoring Lake and Iturrey.
Emory held its ground with a three run inning, scoring on RBI singles from sophomore pinch hitter Ben Vizvary and sophomore shortstop Jack Karras, and a pitch that plated Peacock.
Freshman Hans Hansen earned his second victory, striking out six and walking a batter over six innings. Senior Robert Gross pitched scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth, and junior Michael Byman closed out the game with a scoreless ninth.
The second game didn't go as smoothly for the team.
A pair of RBI singles from Lake and Welch in the top of the third gave Emory its first lead in the game, but Piedmont responded with a number of runs.
An RBI groundout from Hannon gave the Eagles a run back in the ninth, but at that point it was too late.
Hannon finished the game with three RBIs, and Lake added a two-for-five performance with a pair of runs driven in to round Emory's play out.
Emory will be back in action in a home game at Chappell Park against LaGrange College on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 2 p.m.
– By Nicola Braginsky
Photo courtesy of Emory Athletics
