Box Score Embry-Riddle opened their 2024 season with a 13-10 win over the Tigers of Olivet Nazarene University from Illinois on Thursday afternoon at Greenway High School in Phoenix at their first game of the Coach Calderone Invitational.
After ONU stranded a runner to start the game, ERAU scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning after Travis Strickler (Glendale, Ariz.) was hit by a pitch, Drew Barragan (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.) hit a homerun to give Embry-Riddle a 2-0 lead.
The Eagles were able to strand the Tigers runner in the top of the second and added another run in the bottom half of the inning. Jacob Aguirre (La Verne, Calif.) walked and advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Kevin Fedoruk (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) and Miles Murphy (Goodyear, Ariz.) walked to load the bases and Aguirre scored when Gavin Botts (Lake Forest, Calif.) was walked. After two, ERAU led 3-0.
Neither team scored in the third inning, but Embry-Riddle added to their lead with a big seven run 4th inning on six hits and one error by ONU. Murphy started the inning with a single to left field and Botts followed that with a double down the line. With two runners on, Barragan picked up his third RBI of the day with a single. Roberto Garza-Nunez (Salinas, Calif.) reached on an error that brought in Botts. Following Garza-Nunez was Luke Jepsen (Temecula, Calif.) who reached first on a single to center field. Aguirre followed Jepsen's single with a double and scored on a homerun by Fedoruk as ERAU took a 10-0 lead after the 4th inning.
Embry-Riddle scored another run in the bottom of the 5th on Strickler's first homerun of the season. The Eagles added two more runs in the bottom of the 6th inning. Aguirre was hit by a pitch and then Owen Cain (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) was walked to put runners on first and second. After a pitching change by the Tigers, Fedoruk walked. Botts hit into a fielder's choice which scored Blake Moore (San Ramon, Calif.) who was in to pinch run for Aguirre. Strickler earned his second hit of the day with a double to score Cain. After the 6th inning, Embry-Riddle led 13-0.
Olivet Nazarene made it interesting in the late innings as they scored 10 unanswered runs to make the final score 13-10.
Aiden Vestbie (Reno, Nev.) pitched five strong innings for ERAU as he scattered four hits and struck out four batters. Parker Cadacio (Cypress, Calif.) faced five batters in his inning of work giving up zero runs and no hits.
Embry-Riddle will play again tomorrow at Greenway High School at 2pm against Mid America Nazarene in their second game of the Coach Calderone Invitational.
