Box Score Emory University's offense broke out for 15 runs on 13 hits on Tuesday evening, as the 30th-ranked Eagles claimed a 15-9 win at Berry College.
It was the 13th-double-digit scoring effort for the Eagles this season, as Emory improved to 21-9 overall. Berry, which received votes in each of the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper/ ABCA and D3Baseball.com polls released on Tuesday, dropped to 19-9 with the loss.
Emory took the lead in the third inning of the game, when junior first baseman Jordan Selbach led the frame off with a base hit, stole second, advanced to third on a fielder's choice and scored on a balk. A second balk advanced shortstop Jack Karras to third, and the sophomore would later score on an RBI groundout by senior right fielder Brandon Hannon, pushing the Eagles' lead to 2-0.
Berry answered back right away, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the third of Emory senior starter Ben Hinojosa, tying the score at 2-2.
The Eagles regained the lead in the fifth, when senior second baseman Jared Kahn doubled with one out, followed by a bunt single from Hannon to put runners at first and third. Junior left fielder Brett Lake followed with a sacrifice fly, driving in his 45th run of the season, and after a walk to senior designated hitter Daniel Iturrey and a double steal, senior centerfielder Wes Peacock drove in a pair of runs with a base hit, extending the Emory lead to 5-2.
The Vikings would respond immediately again with another pair of runs in the bottom of the inning, chasing Hinojosa from the contest. Freshman Kyle Monk would enter, and get the Eagle out of the jam to preserve a one-run lead, 5-4, heading into the sixth.
The Eagles offense would not be deterred though, batting around and scoring five more runs in the top of the sixth to gain a 10-4 lead. After loading the bases with one out, Hannon singled to right field to drive in the first run of the inning, followed by a two-RBI hit from Lake. An error on a ball hit by Iturrey plated a fourth run, and Peacock capped off the Eagles' scoring in the sixth with a sacrifice fly.
After a scoreless bottom of the sixth from Monk, the Eagles added another run in the seventh on a bases-loaded walk issued to Lake, his fourth RBI of the game. Iturrey followed with an RBI walk of his own, and then a passed ball scored another runner, Hannon, from third. Peacock would again cap off the Emory scoring with an RBI hit up the middle, his fourth run batted his of the game as well, extending the Eagles' lead to 14-4.
Berry scored an unearned run on a passed ball in the bottom of the eighth, but Hannon collected his fourth hit and third RBI of the game with a single that drove in Kahn in the top of the ninth. Berry rallied for four unearned runs in the ninth, but Emory reliever Matt McMahon was able to hold the lead and close out the contest.
Monk earned the win on the mound in relief for Emory, to improve to 2-1 on the year. He allowed one unearned run on four hits and a walk with three strikeouts over three innings of work.
Hannon finished the game four-for-six with three runs scored and three RBIs, and is now just one hit shy of becoming the 11th Eagle all-time with 200 career hits. In addition, he now has scored 43 runs this season, the most among Division III players this season. Lake finished the game two-for-three with four RBIs, and has now driven in 48 runs this season, 15 shy of the school single-season record with 10 games left in the regular season. Peacock added a two-for-four game with four RBIs, and has now driven in 39 for the campaign.
The Eagles will have the next ten days off, before returning to the diamond on Friday, April 11th to begin a three-game home series against Southwestern University.
