Box Score Embry-Riddle won their sixth game in a row on Friday afternoon on a cold and rainy day in Prescott as they beat the Firebirds of Saint Katherine's 11-5.
USK scored first as they scored two runs in the top of the 1st inning. ERAU was able to answer with a run in the bottom half of the inning as Travis Strickler (Glendale, Ariz.) led off with a double. Strickler scored on a groundout to the right side by Drew Barragan (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.). After one inning of play the Eagles trailed 2-1.
The Firebirds added to their lead in the top of the 3rd, but Embry-Riddle was able to get a run back right away in the bottom of the inning. Calvin Solie (Buckeye, Ariz.) led off the inning with a single and then stole second base. Barragan picked up his second RBI with a single to right field that scored Solie and after three ERAU was still down by a run, 3-2.
Embry-Riddle was able to tie the game up at 4-4 in the 4th inning after USK scored again in the top half of the inning, the Eagles answered with two in the bottom. Luke Jepsen (Temecula, Calif.) started the inning off with a single and then Blake Moore (San Ramon, Calif.) walked. Both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch. Jepsen scored on a sac fly by Solie and Moore later came around on another wild pitch.
ERAU took the lead in the bottom of the 5th inning with one run. This time it was Javier Izaguirre Jr. (Riverside, Calif.) who started the inning off with a single. His pinch runner Kaden Menard (Meridian, Idaho) stole second and scored on another single from Jepsen to make the score 5-4.
The Eagles broke the game open in the bottom of the 6th inning with five runs. Moore led off the inning with a walk and then Solie was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. Both runners moved up a base on another wild pitch and then Miles Murphy (Goodyear, Ariz.) reached on a walk to load the bases. Izaguirre Jr. reached on an error which allowed both Moore and Solie to score and then another double from Barragan brought in two more runs for the Eagles. When Jepsen hit his third single of the day, Barragan scored and after 6 innings of play, Embry-Riddle led 10-5.
Each team scored one more run, the Firebirds got one in the top of the 7th and ERAU added to their lead in the bottom of the 8th. Izaguirre Jr. was walked to start the inning and his pinch runner Menard came in to score after Barragan moved him to second on a single and Jepsen hit his fourth single of the day.
Cole Altherr (Tucson, Ariz.) earned the win as he pitched 5.1 innings giving up just four hits. Jonah Montes (Upland, Calif.) came in in relief and struck out two in his 1.2 innings. Parker Cadacio (Cypress, Calif.) pitched a 1-2-3 inning and Noah Tschopp (Las Vegas, Nev.) closed out the game getting a ground ball double play.
Embry-Riddle and Saint Katherine's will play a double header tomorrow with the first pitch at 11am.
