Box Score 1 The Emory University baseball team split a doubleheader with Piedmont College on Sunday, winning the opening game 1-0, before falling to the Lions in the late affair, 6-3.
The earlier game of the doubleheader was highlighted by Emory's Caleb Long, who turned in another dominating performance on the mound, pitching seven shutout innings en route to a 1-0 shutout. In his seven innings of work, Long needed to face just 25 batters, only four over the minimum. He allowed just four hits and three walks in the contest, while striking out four Lions.
The combined shutout was the second of the season by the Emory pitching staff, after Ben Hinojosa and Mike Bitanga combined for a 5-0 shutout over Denison University on February 20th.
Long improved to 4-0 in his four appearances this season, all starts, while lowering his season earned run average to 1.16. The sophomore has now allowed just 13 hits through 23.1 innings pitched this season, holding opponents to a .167 batting average, while striking out 22 batters. In his four appearances this season, he has allowed six, one, two and four hits, respectively, while not giving up more than two earned runs in game. Long has not allowed an earned run over his last 17.1 innings pitched.
Making his second start of the season in centerfield, freshman Brandon Hannon picked up his fourth outfield assist in the last five games. With two outs in the bottom of the first inning and a runner on second, Piedmont's Curtis Cornett singled to centerfield, but Hannon was able to throw the runner out at the plate to end the Lions early threat. While a still an important play at the time, little would anyone realize its impact until later in the game.
After leaving five men on base through the first three innings, the Eagles finally brought a run across in the fourth inning. With one out in the inning, designated hitter Jay Page doubled, followed by back-to-back walks to Daniel Iturrey and Jared Welch to load the bases. The next batter, Ryan Jones, grounded a ball to third base, and the Lions were able to get Welch out at second, but could not double-up Jones, allowing Page to score the first and only run of the game.
After getting the lead, Long would allow just three more hits and a walk the rest of his day, and was aided by a pick off by the Eagles' catcher Welch to end Piedmont's fourth inning, and a double play to end the fifth.
Freshman Matt McMahon enter the game for Long to start the eighth inning, working around a one-out hit batsman in the frame, with help again from Welch, who recorded his second pick off of the game for the second out of the inning. In the ninth, McMahon hit a second batter to open the inning, who later advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, and to third with one out on a wild pitch.
With the tying run just 90 feet away from scoring, Bitanga, the Eagles' closer, entered the game needing two outs to clinch the win. The sophomore would oblige, getting the next batter to pop out to second baseman Kevin O'Connor in foul territory (holding the runner at third), and the last out of the game on a ground out to shortstop.
Bitanga picked up his seventh save of the season with the performance, and is now just three saves shy of tying Keith Meizler's school single-season record of 10 saves, set during the 2004 season.
Page finished the day with two of the Eagles four hits and the only extra base hit for either team. Hannon picked up a hit in the third inning, and Iturrey singled in the ninth, extending his hitting streak to eight games, now the longest active streak by an Eagle after Patrick Riebsame (12 games) and Andrew Cohn (11 games) saw their hitting streaks come to a close during the game.
Piedmont start Caleb Cochran took the loss on the day, falling to 1-4 on the year.
In the second game, with Emory as the home team, the Eagles fell behind 1-0 in the second inning, as Piedmont scored a run on a wild pitch against freshman starter Ben Hinojosa. However, Emory tied the game with a run in the bottom of the fifth, as a RBI single from Welch scored Riebsame with two outs.
However, Piedmont would take the lead in the game for good a half inning later, as the Lions scored four runs on four hits during the frame. The Lions added another run in the seventh, taking a 6-1 lead over the Eagles.
Emory would chip away with the lead, scoring a run on an RBI ground out from Hannon in the seventh, and another in the eighth on a fielder's choice from Jones, making the score 6-3. In the ninth, the Eagles loaded the bases with one out, but Piedmont pitcher Matt Collins struck out Page and Riebsame to end the game.
Page finished the second game two-for-four with a doubles, while Iturrey extended his hitting streak to nine games with a base hit.
Hinojosa allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks in five and two thirds innings, striking out a pair of batters. He fell to 2-2 on the season with the loss. Ryan Orlovsky and Bitanga combined to pitch two perfect innings in relief.
Piedmont starter Dusty Black earned the win in the game to improve to 4-3, as the Lions ended the day with a 16-11 overall record.
Emory, now 17-10 on the campaign, will play at Birmingham Southern College on Wednesday at 7:00 PM.
