Embry-Riddle baseball showed flashes of momentum and several strong individual performances on Friday, but visiting La Sierra claimed both ends of the doubleheader, taking Game 1 by a 10–3 margin before edging the Eagles 3–1 in a tightly contested Game 2 at the ERAU Baseball Field.
GAME 1 — La Sierra 10, Embry-Riddle 3
La Sierra's offense struck early and often, building a 3–0 lead in the third and steadily adding on across the middle innings. The Eagles stayed within reach thanks to competitive at-bats and late-game energy, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome.
Embry-Riddle's biggest surge came in the eighth, when Caden Truman ripped a triple to right, and Jake Lokos followed with an RBI single to put the Eagles on the board. Moments later, James Warren doubled to center, and Connor Rosinski delivered a two-run single, cutting the gap to 9–3 and giving ERAU its strongest offensive sequence of the afternoon.
Lokos led the Eagles with a 3-for-5 performance, while Truman added two hits including the triple. Rosinski drove in two and Warren doubled as part of ERAU's 10-hit effort.
On the mound, the Eagles received innings from Noah Tschopp, Lukas Barrett, Brody Gundert, and Keegan Eberly, who combined for 15 strikeouts on the day.
Despite the late push, La Sierra's consistent scoring proved decisive as the Golden Eagles took the opener.
GAME 2 — La Sierra 3, Embry-Riddle 1
Game 2 turned into a pitcher's duel, with both teams trading zeros through five innings before late scoring defined the outcome.
ERAU starter Jesse Kaphing was outstanding, working 6.2 innings while allowing just four hits, two earned runs, and striking out seven. He kept La Sierra off the board until the sixth, when an error and a single allowed the visitors to take a 1–0 lead.
The Eagles answered immediately in the bottom half. James Warren singled, advanced on an error, and moved to third before ERAU brought him home on a passed ball, tying the game 1–1 and giving the home crowd life.
But La Sierra responded with a decisive seventh inning, using a leadoff double, an RBI single, and a two-out RBI knock to push across two runs and reclaim a 3–1 advantage.
ERAU threatened in the bottom of the seventh after Caden Truman drew a walk and Jake Lokos reached on a fielder's choice, but a passed ball that scored Lokos was the only run the Eagles could muster as La Sierra held on.
Offensively, ERAU collected hits from Konner Nelson, James Warren, and Truman, who also doubled and executed a sacrifice bunt. Warren reached base twice and stole a base, while Rosinski added a stolen bag of his own.
