Emory University opened play at the 2014 University Athletic Association (UAA) Baseball Championships in Sanford, Florida on Sunday afternoon with a 7-3 over Washington University (Mo.), the defending conference champions.

Emory improved to 10-5 overall in the season, and to 1-0 in UAA games.  The Bears dropped to 1-4 for the year and to 0-1 in conference play with the loss.

Emory junior Connor Dillman pitched eight strong innings for the Eagles to earn the victory, improving to 3-1 on the campaign with a 1.76 ERA.  Dillman allowed just three runs (two earned) on five hits over his 117-pitch outing, striking out five and walking one.

After Washington took the lead with a run in the top of the first inning without the benefit of a hit, Emory did the same in the bottom of the inning, when senior Brandon Hannon was walked, stole both second and third, and scored on an RBI groundout from junior Brett Lake.

Lake would drive in the first of three runs in the third inning for Emory as well, singling in senior Jared Kahn to give the Eagles a lead.  Senior Jared Welch and freshman Philip Maldari would each drive in runs as well during the frame, giving the Eagles a 4-1 advantage.

The Bears cut the lead to 4-2 with a run in the top of the fourth, but the Eagles rallied with two outs, plating a run on a Hannon triple, followed by a Lake single.  Lake drove in his fourth run of the game with sixth inning double that scored Hannon, and Maldari singled in the seventh to score junior Wes Peacock, giving Emory a 7-2 and capping off the Eagles' scoring.

Washington would score an unearned run off Dillman in the eighth, but the righty struck out the final two batters of the inning to work out of trouble.  Senior Robert Gross closed the game out with a perfect ninth inning, including one strikeout.

Lake finished the game three-for-five with four RBIs, a run scored and two stolen bases, extending his hitting streak to 16 games, including all 15 Emory contests this season.  He has driven in 26 runs through 15 games, and is now batting .542. 

Hannon added a three-for-four performance with four runs scored and three stolen bases, and was a home run short of the cycle.

Starter Dom Quaranta took the loss for the Bears, falling to 0-2 on the campaign.  Max Golembo led the bears with a pair of hits, while Kyle Billig, Zack Kessinger and CJ Price each drove in runs for Washington.

Emory will continue play the 2014 UAA Championships on Monday with the team's 'doubleheader day,' taking on the University of Rochester at 10:00 AM and Case Western Reserve University at 1:00 PM.