Anthem, Ariz. – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University rallied for four runs in the bottom of eighth in game two in opening games of the California Pacific Conference baseball season to gain a split against Antelope Valley. The Pioneers won game one, 11-9, before the Eagles rallied to take game two. Junior Drew Barrigan (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.) and senior Travis Strickler (Glendale, Ariz.) each combined to go 4-for-9 at the plate with 3 RBIs each. The game two win was the first against UAV in the short history of the ERAU program.

Game 1

Embry-Riddle (5-11, 1-1 Cal Pac) overcame an early 2-0 deficit with three runs in the bottom of the second, loading the bases with no outs on an error, single, and a walk. Junior Kevin Fedoruk (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) walked to force in a run before freshman Miles Murphy (Goodyear, Ariz.) delivered a sac fly to tie the game. ERAU then took a 3-2 lead on a UAV error.

The Pioneers came back to tie it with a single run in the top of the third, but Embry-Riddle came back to retake the lead in the fifth. A single and an error to start the inning put two aboard for Strickler, who singled to right for the first run of the frame. A wild pitch let another run across before junior Luke Jepsen (Temecula, Calif.) plated the third run with a ground out.

Antelope Valley (6-5, 1-1 Cal Pac) rallied in the seventh, scoring six times, to take a 9-6 lead, with the big hit a two-run single by Dawson Bakker. Embry-Riddle answered with three in the bottom half of the inning to tie it again, with Fedoruk coming up with a big, two-out, two-run single to knot the game.

UAV came back in the eighth, however, loading the bases with none out. A single and a wild pitch then brought home a pair that proved to be the winning margin for the Pioneers.

Game 2

Embry-Riddle broke through first in game two, with junior Roberto Garza-Nunez (Salinas, Calif.) bringing in the first tally with an infield hit in the first inning. In the top of the third Antelope Valley banged out back-to-back home runs and added a run-scoring double to take a 3-1 lead, but the Eagle answered in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run single by Barrigan.

UAV and ERAU both scored runs in the fifth and sixth, with the Pioneers getting the upper hand in those frames and edging ahead 8-6. Freshman Noah Tschopp (Las Vegas, Nev.) came out of the pen in the seventh and set down UAV in order, keeping the Eagles within striking distance.

Embry-Riddle pulled within one in the seventh when freshman Javier Izaguirre Jr. (Riverside, Calif.) slammed his first home run of the season. In the eighth ERAU started is game-winning rally by loading the bases on a pair of singles and a walk. Strickler then came through with a double to right center that plated a pair of runs. Another run scored when UAV's attempt to throw out Strickler at second failed, allowing the third run to score, with Strickler advancing to third on a play at the plate. The senior then made it 11-8 when he scored on a wild pitch.

Tschopp did the rest, giving up just a lead off single in the ninth. He picked up his first collegiate victory with 3.0 innings of one-hit work, striking out four without issuing a walk.