After a through-the-night bus ride to Florida, the Royals were ready to go Monday afternoon, opening their play at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational with a 6-2 win over Cazenovia. The men also have doubleheaders scheduled against Juniata and Pitt-Greensburg in Winter Haven, FL.
Neither team scored over the first two innings, but EMU got things rolling in the bottom of the third. Justin Rodriguez (Miramar, FL/Pace) knocked in Chris Rodriguez (Miami, FL/Pace) with a two-out single to put the men up 1-0.
In the fourth, Bryan Melendez (Lansdale, PA/Christopher Dock) tripled and came in on an RBI groundout from Jonathan Estrada (Miami, FL/Doral Academy). Justin Rodriguez made it 3-0 in the 5th, scoring B.J. Mortimer (Mechanicsville, VA/Lee-Davis) with a single.
The WildCats got their first run of the season in the seventh, getting only one score after loading the bases with one out.
The Royals added some breathing room in the bottom of the eight, plating three runs to make the score 6-1. Ryan McAlister (Bridgewater, VA/Turner Ashby) brought home two runs with a double and later scored on an error.
Cazenovia scratched out one run in the top of the ninth, but reliever Beau Banglesdorf (Stafford, VA/Mountain View) had enough to close out the two-inning save.
Eastern Mennonite rapped out 13 hits in a balanced attack, as Mortimer, Chris Rodriguez, Justin Rodriguez, Melendez and Estrada each had two hits. Justin Rodriguez and McAlister each had a pair of RBIs.
Despite pitching three innings in relief the day before against Randolph-Macon, starter Andy Richter (Perkasie, PA/Christopher Dock) threw five scoreless innings, striking seven to earn his first win. Banglesdorf allowed one run in two innings of work for his second save.
The Royals improve to 5-7 with the win. They play Juniata in a twinbill Tuesday afternoon.
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