The 30th-ranked baseball team walked off of the diamond with a 15-9 win at Berry College on Tuesday night. The leading factor behind the win was the Eagles' offense, which earned 15 runs on 13 hits. With the win, Emory improved to 21-9 overall.
The Emory men took the lead in the third inning of the game.
Junior Jordan Selbach led the frame off with a base hit, stole second and eventually advanced to third on a fielder's choice. He then scored on a balk.
The example was set, and on a second balk, sophomore shortstop Jack Karras advanced to third and later scored on an RBI groundout by senior right fielder Brandon Hannon. At that point, the Eagles maintained a lead of 2-0.
Hannon finished the game four-for-six with three runs scored and three RBIs. He is now just one hit shy of becoming the 11th Eagle all-time with 200 career hits.
Emory came back into the lead in the fifth inning when senior Jared Kahn doubled with one out, which was followed by a bunt single from Hannon.
Junior left fielder Brett Lake brought in his 45th run of the season with a sacrifice fly.
Shortly after, senior Daniel Iturrey drew a walk and stole second, which allowed senior Wes Peacock to drive in a pair of runs and extend the lead to 5-2.
Lake finished two-for-three with four RBIs. He has driven in 48 runs this season, 15 shy of the school single-season record.
The Vikings scored a run off Eagles' starter Ben Hinojosa in the bottom of the inning, but freshman Kyle Monk entered at the opportune moment and got the team out of the inning with a 5-4 lead.
In the top of the sixth, Emory continued to hit the ball well, scoring five more runs to get to a 10-4 lead.
Coming up to bat with loaded bases and one out, Hannon singled to right field to drive in a run. Lake followed with a two-RBI single.
Peacock capped off the scoring in the sixth with a sacrifice fly.
The bottom of the sixth was scoreless, thanks to Monk, and the Eagles were able to add another run in the seventh, with Lake driving in a run on a bases-loaded walk.
Iturrey contributed another RBI, and Peacock upped the margin once again with an RBI hit up the middle. The Eagles were sitting on a 14-4 cushion.
In the top of the ninth, Hannon collected his fourth hit and third RBI of the game with a single that drove in Kahn.
Senior Matt McMahon closed out the game in the ninth. Monk was awarded the victory.
"After coming off a big weekend win, it's easy to get comfortable and take weekday games for granted," Welch said. "We came out and took care of business early, never giving them a chance to get into the game."
The Eagles will be back in the game on Friday, April 11, beginning a three-game home series against Southwestern University (Texas).
– By Nicola Braginsky
Eagles Slug Past Berry College, 15-9
Courtesy of Emory Athletics
Senior catcher Jared Welch swings at a pitch. He is hitting .294 with 23 RBIs this season. After beating Berry College Tuesday, the Eagles are now 21-9. That game was the 13th in which Emory has scored a double-digit number of runs this season.
