The EMU Royals scored 29 runs in just 12 offensive innings, taking a doubleheader sweep of visiting Juniata. Now 3-1 on the season, EMU’s baseball men will try to play another seven-inning doubleheader on Sunday. They are scheduled to host Mount Saint Vincent, although there is potential for rain.
EMU 21, Juniata 3
The opener had a slow start considering what was to come. The men tacked in a single run in the second and two more in the third. Juniata got an unearned run in the top of the third before the Royals forged some space in the bottom of the frame. Ryan Hedrick (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) smacked a two-run double off the left field fence to push the margin to 6-1.
The Eagles got a single run again in their half of the sixth to make it 6-2 before the floodgates opened.
Griffin Stanley (Roanoke, Va./Cave Spring) led off and reached on an error. Nearly a half hour later, Griffin stepped to the plate for the third time in the inning, and ground out to end the frame. In all, EMU sent up 19 batters, using nine hits and four JC errors to dent home 15 times, jumping to a 21-2 lead. Kyle Mathews (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge), Brandon Trujillo(Virginia Beach, Va./Salem), Kyle Salladay (Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield) and Dean Lowery (Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield) each had a two-RBI hit in the frame.
Stanley finished the game 3-5 with three runs scored. Kyle Armstrong (Greenville, Va./Riverheads) also scored three times. Lowery had three RBIs and was one of six Royals to collect multiple RBIs.
Freshman pitcher Ryan Brewer (Martinsville, Va./Franklin County) looked solid in his collegiate debut, allowing just one earned run and three hits over 5.2 innings to get the win
EMU 8, Juniata 6
The nightcap had more drama to it.
EMU loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the first, and it turned into a four-run frame. Mathews had a two-run double.
The Eagles tacked on single runs in the second and fourth, but Hedrick smacked another two-run double in the bottom of the fourth to keep the margin at four, 6-2.
Juniata scored twice in their half of the fifth, but EMU again responded with a two-spot, getting both unearned this time.
In the sixth, JC scored once to cut the margin to 8-5. With shadows covering the entire infield, the Eagles got a two-out rally going in the seventh, but could only plate one run before a fly out to right ended the threat and the ballgame.
The Royals were out-hit 9-5 in the nightcap, but worked nine walks out of JC’s pitching staff. Stanley and Joe Hall (Gladys, Va./Rustburg) again worked the top of the order perfectly, as each scored twice. Hedrick finished 2-2 with two walks, scoring one time and knocking in two more.
Josh Sydenstricker (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes) struck out four batters in 4.2 innings to earn the win. Hall pitched the seventh for his first save of the year.
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