The Emory baseball team moved into first place in the University Athletic Association (UAA) after winning three out of four games in their series against UAA opponent Case Western Reserve University (Ohio) over the weekend of April 13. The team advanced to 18-12 on the year, with a 7-1 record in the UAA. For their effort in the games, senior infielder Bubby Terp and freshman pitcher Jack Brodsky were named the UAA Athletes of the Week. The Eagles then moved on to face Oglethorpe University (Ga.) on April 16, where they won the game 17-7.
Before the Eagles could take on Case Western, they first faced Oglethorpe University (Ga.) in a game that was rescheduled for April 10. Emory took advantage of a school-record 19 walks to defeat Oglethorpe 13-1. The Eagles set the previous record of 16 walks in 2010 against Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) (Mo.). Apart from the record, Emory had more impressive offensive showings. Junior infielder Richard Brereton had three walks, was one-for-one and scored one run. Senior catcher Eric Terry went two-for-two and had an RBI single to contribute to a five-run fifth inning. Finally, senior infielder Bubby Terp drove in four runs on two hits to help his team earn eight runs in the first five innings. On the mound, the Eagles held Oglethorpe to just one run, which they scored in the eighth inning. The win went to freshman pitcher Bryant Wise, his first of the season, after he pitched into the sixth inning. Wise did not allow a single run, had four strikeouts and only allowed three hits and four walks.
Head Coach of twenty years Mike Twardoski knew the importance of winning their series against Case Western.
“They’re a very good team. We knew we had to play well to beat them,” Twardoski said. “We lost the first game, and we could have folded. If we lost any of the other games we wouldn’t have had a shot at winning the conference. We played with a lot of grit and a lot of confidence. It was just a great series.”
On April 12, the Eagles played their first game against Case Western, the only game of the series they would lose. The Spartans held Emory’s normally high-scoring offense to only one run and five hits. Freshman infielder Zeke Diamond scored the Eagles’ only run off of junior infielder Ryan Adelman’s sixth-inning double. The loss went to junior pitcher James Robertson after he allowed three runs and seven hits in 5.1 innings.
It took until the bottom of the sixth inning in the second game of the day for Emory to break through Case Western’s defense. The Spartans had a 2-0 lead when the Eagles heated up at the plate and scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead. The Eagles then scored four runs in the seventh with the help of Brereton and Diamond, who each had an RBI single. Although Case Western tied the game up after scoring a run in the seventh and four runs in the eighth, sophomore infielder Jacob Singer scored the winning run off of a defensive miscue. Freshman pitcher Jack Brodsky collected his fifth win this season for his relief pitching in the ninth inning to seal the 8-7 win.
The Eagles continued the series with another doubleheader against Case Western on April 13, the same day as Emory’s Senior Day. Before the game, Emory honored their nine-member senior class for their last home appearance of the regular season.
Junior catcher Jacob Greene stressed how much the senior class has meant to him.
“Our seniors have shaped this team and the lives of those around it for the better,” Greene said. “We are so proud to share the field with them.”
Sophomore pitcher Jack Moore allowed three runs in the first but refocused to shut out Case Western for the rest of the game. Moore only let up seven hits and one walk and struck out two. Emory ended the game in the seventh inning after scoring 13 unanswered runs throughout the game. Brereton and Greene combined for seven RBIs while Terp and sophomore outfielder Michael Edelman each had 2 RBIs. Terp’s two-run double secured the 13-3 win.
In the final game of the series, Emory rallied in the bottom of the fifth inning to take the lead after a 5-1 deficit. Back-to-back doubles by Greene and Terry helped the Eagles score five runs. Case Western tied it up in the top of the sixth, but the Eagles responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Diamond scored an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth off a hit by Terp. Diamond had a team-high three runs while Terp had four RBIs in the 10-6 win over Case Western, which put Emory on top of their conference, closely followed by WashU (8-2).
Greene knew how important this series was for the team.
“This weekend’s series was a must-win, so we were happy that we could deliver and claim the top spot in the UAA,” Greene noted.
The Eagles dominated in their second game against Oglethorpe this week. Emory hit two home runs: a three-run homer from Brereton in the top of the second and another three-run homer from Greene in the top of the fifth.
The Eagles will play a crucial series away against conference rival WashU starting April 19.
