Box Score Emory University broke a 5-5 tie with a five-run ninth inning to defeat LaGrange College 10-5 in LaGrange, Georgia on Tuesday night.
Emory has now won eight of its last nine games, and stands at 24-11 this season, while LaGrange dropped to 13-21 in 2015.
Senior Wes Peacock got the Eagles off to a quick start with a leadoff home run, his third long ball in the last three games. After falling behind in the count 0-2, Peacock worked it back full before depositing the ball over the left field wall for his third home run of the campaign.
It marked the second time this season that an Eagle has led off a game with a home run, after junior David Coble accomplished the feat against Washington University (Mo.) on March 10th.
Emory added on two more runs in the first, one on an RBI groundout from junior Ben Vizvary and the other on a run-scoring single from sophomore Wilson Morgan, to take a 3-0 advantage after half a frame. After a scoreless bottom of the first for LaGrange, a sacrifice fly from senior Brett Lake scored freshman Nick Chambers in the top of the second to extend the Eagles' lead to 4-0.
In the third, Chambers plated Morgan on a squeeze bunt with two outs in the frame to push the advantage to 5-0.
Starting his second-straight game for Emory and his third in the last five contests, sophomore Jackson Weeg received a no-decision, after allowing four runs on four hits in six and a third innings, despite matching his career high with 10 strikeouts. LaGrange would get its first hit of the game in the fourth, and break through with a pair of runs, ending stretches of 11.1 scoreless innings and 14.1 innings without an earned run for Weeg, and cutting the Emory lead to 5-2.
The Panthers scored two more in the seventh, and tied the game at 5-5 with a run off reliever Kyle Monk in the bottom of the eighth.
However, Emory responded quickly with a five run top of the ninth to take the lead for good. Sophomore Brian Hernandez led the inning off with a base hit, and Peacock was hit by a pitch to put two men on with no outs. After a passed ball moved the two runners into scoring position, junior Dylan Eisner drove in the game-winning run with a base hit, putting Emory ahead 6-5. Peacock later scored on a wild pitch, and two more runs were plated on sophomore Philip Maldari's second double of the game. Morgan capped off the Eagles' scoring with an RBI ground out.
Freshman Matt Randolph pitched a one-two-three bottom of the ninth to close out the win for the Eagles. Monk picked up the victory in relief to improve to 3-1 on the season.
The Eagles will begin their final series of the 2015 regular season on Thursday, April 23rd at 7:00 pm in Demorest, Georgia against Piedmont College. The two teams will then return to Chappell Park in Atlanta for games at 4:00 pm on Friday, and 3:00 pm on Saturday.
