Entering play April 8 to 9 on the heels of a six-game losing streak, the Emory baseball team found their stride with a four-game sweep on the road against the Brandeis University (Mass.) Judges. Emory’s four wins against Brandeis improved their UAA conference record to 6-6 and their overall record to 23-11.
After the series’ initial game was cancelled due to inclement weather April 7, the Eagles were scheduled to have back-to-back doubleheaders April 8 and April 9. All games were reduced to seven innings and played at University of Massachusetts Boston due to the unplayable field conditions at Brandeis’ home field.
The Eagles’ first bout of the weekend ended in a convincing 6-0 shutout against the Judges April 8. Senior pitcher Jackson Weeg took to the mound for Emory and delivered a dominant performance. Weeg limited Brandeis to three hits, shutting out the Judges through seven innings and tallying 11 strikeouts in the process.
Emory found the scoreboard early in the game when junior first baseman Bubby Terp stole home in the second inning. The Eagles did not score again until the fourth inning, when the team added four more runs to their lead.
Terp, senior third baseman Philip Maldari, senior catcher Chris Young and freshman shortstop Richard Brereton recorded RBIs in the inning off of four hits, a walk and a Brandeis error. Emory added one more run in the seventh to finish the game leading by six. Terp recorded impressive numbers in the game, going two for three with a double and an RBI.
Sophomore pitcher Billy Dimlow continued the trend from earlier in the day in the second game, keeping Brandeis scoreless in a 3-0 victory. Dimlow was just as successful as Weeg, allowing only three hits with no runs or walks and 10 strikeouts in seven innings pitched.
Once again, the Eagles snatched an early lead thanks to Brereton’s two-run double. Emory was set to glide to the finish line with a two-run lead, when they added one more run on senior second baseman Jeff Ronpirin’s single in the seventh. Ronpirin scorched the Brandeis pitchers, going a solid three of four with two doubles and an RBI.
The Eagles handled the Judges with ease in their first match-up April 9 with a 10-0 shutout. Emory crossed the plate three times in the first inning on three hits and a Brandeis error. Emory added two runs to their lead and took four walks in the second inning.
The Eagles scored three more runs in the fifth and two in the seventh to amass a ten-run margin over the Judges. Senior pitcher Luke Emmett had a terrific day on the mound, giving up no runs on five hits and one walk through six innings. Sophomore pitcher Charlie Redovian took the mound in the seventh inning, helping Emory triumph 10-0.
Senior pitcher Andrew Doetsch noted some of the areas that Emory improved this weekend.
“We came out ready to play,” Doetsch said. “All of our starters went deep and everybody had great games. The pitching was really dominant and were in command their entire time on the mound.”
Senior designated hitter Brian Hernandez emphasized how the team’s confidence helped give them the edge they needed.
“We needed a certain cockiness and we got it back this weekend in Boston,” Hernandez said. “Everybody looked confident on the mound, at the plate and on the field.”
Completing the four-game sweep, Emory defeated Brandeis in a game decided in the final inning. Combined, three pitchers — junior Rhett Stuart, sophomore Mack Wilkins and senior Kyle Monk — allowed two earned runs on eight hits.
Emory trailed through the first five innings after Brandeis drove in a run in the first inning. The Eagles finally struck in the top of the sixth on Terp’s two-run homerun that drove in Ronpirin. Trailing by one, Brandeis was able to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth with a one-run single.
With the game knotted up at two in the final inning, senior left fielder Wilson Morgan gave Emory a one-run advantage with an RBI single. After getting the last out in the sixth inning, Monk took the one-run lead into the bottom of the seventh and recorded his seventh win of the season.
Doetsch mentioned the success of the team’s seniors.
“All of the seniors together had a ball this weekend,” Doetsch said. “They were all playing great games and having tons of fun. They were smashing the ball.”
Stringing together a set of strong performances, the Eagles delivered a nearly flawless weekend, allowing only two runs in four games and outscoring the Judges 22-2.
Hernandez noted how the pitching helped lead the way for Emory during the weekend.
“Everybody across the board was solid on the mound,” Hernandez said. “The pitchers set the tone by having the level of energy and confidence that they did.”
Emory continued their success from the weekend with a 19-3 rout of Oglethorpe University April 11. Emory will head to Chappell Park against d3baseball.com’s No. 3 team Birmingham-Southern College (Ala.) April 18.
