This past weekend, the Emory baseball team traveled to Maryville, Tennessee for a pair of games against the Maryville College (Tenn.) Scots. The Eagles split the series, losing the first game 8-0 on Saturday, but rebounded for a 12-4 win on Sunday.
The Eagles have only played away games since April 8, but the team has not been negatively affected by the travel, according to sophomore catcher Brian Hernandez.
“It helps to have the home crowd support, but we still go into each away game with the same approach,” Hernandez said. “We don’t focus on the venue, we just play baseball.”
Junior infielder Dylan Eisner added that road games don’t affect the way the team plays, but it definitely changes the way the team prepares to play.
“Personally, I like playing at home better, but good teams are able to play at home and away and win,” Eisner said.
In the first game, senior righthander Connor Dillman started on the mound for the Eagles, and in four innings, gave up eight hits and seven runs — six of which were earned — and walked six.
At the plate, the Eagles couldn’t get anything going, managing only four hits against the Scots, who kept the Eagles in check for a complete game shutout.
The Scots got on the board with one run in the bottom of the third and then exploded for six more in the bottom of the fourth, putting the game out of the Eagles’ reach.
“It’s tough traveling and playing on the same day and they just didn’t see our best game,” Assistant Coach Connor McGuiness said.
On Sunday, the Eagles’ performance showed little resemblance to their effort in the previous day’s loss.
“Going into the second game, after losing so much in the first really fueled our fire,” Hernandez said. “They stopped our winning streak so we had a lot more energy. We were also pumped because [Maryville] was having their Senior Day and we wanted to rain on their parade.”
The Eagles hitters got things going from the start, scoring four in the top of the first inning.
The Scots scored a run in the bottom of the first and added another in the bottom of the third, cutting the deficit to 5-2. The Eagles continued to cross the plate, knocking in three runs in the sixth, and sealing the deal with four more in the eighth.
In the top of the first, after the first two Eagles batters were retired, senior outfielder Brett Lake kept the inning alive with a single to right, starting a two out rally. Lake then stole second and junior infielder Ben Vizvary drove him in with a single to right.
After sophomore third baseman Philip Maldari singled to right, sophomore outfielder Wilson Morgan doubled down the right field line, scoring Vizvary and Maldari. Senior first baseman Jordan Selbach capped the inning off with a single up the middle, scoring Morgan.
It was a combined effort at the plate, as the Eagles totaled 17 hits. Eisner and Morgan had three hits apiece. Morgan also added three runs. Selbach and freshman shortstop Nick Chambers each drove in two runs. Lake, Maldari and Vizvary each contributed two hits.
It was a combined effort on the mound as well for the Eagles who used six pitchers, each for less than three innings. Sophomore lefthander Luke Emmett started for the Eagles and went two and two thirds, giving up two hits and one run. Freshman Danny Kerning, senior Michael Byman, sophomore Kyle Monk and freshman Rhett Stuart each pitched one inning. Freshman Matt Randolph went two and a third, earning the win.
“We brought it [Sunday] and it was all about the bench energy,” McGuiness added.
The Eagles will return to action today, away at Covenant College (Ga.) at 4 p.m.
"We still have a lot of work to do with six games left,” Hernandez said. “We need to do our best to win them all. We finished well last year, but we can’t take that for granted, we have to earn our spot into regionals.”
Baseball Splits During Away Weekend
Junior infielder Jack Karras hurls the ball to his teammate. Karras and the Eagles split two games against Maryville College (Tenn.) last weekend. | Courtesy of Emory Athletics
